Transformation
by IdiotWithaBoxandaScrewdriver
Summary: Hao is turned into a beast by a sorceress who wishes to teach him a lesson. Can Yoh help him learn? Somewhat based on Beauty and the Beast, but with a few twists.
1. Chapter 1

Wolf: Hey, new story, yadda, yadda. I own nothing but the plot and whatever OCs might show up. Enjoy!

He would never admit it to himself or anyone else, but it was the truth; Hao Asakura was sulking. He'd healed himself after the fight for the Great Spirit, slept for about a week and then went off alone, hiding from the world. He hadn't spoken to any of his followers, hadn't really even gone out of his little hidey-hole except to take long walks in the forest and essentially sulk.

His brother, his weaker half, had bested him! When he wasn't sulking, Hao was wondering how in the hell Yoh had managed to beat him, when he was so much stronger. It made him angry. He'd also taken to spying on Yoh's home in Izumo. His own home, one of many, was in fact somewhat north of Izumo, resting on the slope of a mountain. It was a bit of a trek to go spy, but he didn't really have anything better to do.

He was heading back to his lonely abode, his thoughts dark and murderous, when he heard sounds in the brush. He paused for a moment, listening. It didn't sound like an animal, which likely meant that someone was following him. He pretended to ignore it until he came to a small clearing.

He whirled, conjuring up a fireball and blasted it towards where he could still hear footsteps. The long grass burst into flame, hiding the person from view. Hao felt a grim sense of satisfaction, until a voice spoke to him from within the fire.

"Really, is that how you greet people now?" Hao stepped back, blinking rapidly. A young woman stepped out of the fire, a nearly transparent bubble surrounding her, ensuring that she'd come to no harm. She was small and slim, with delicate features. Her white hair fluffed up in a wild halo around her head, turning into a long, sleek ponytail at the base of her neck. White wolf ears and a tail flicked at him, and grave blue eyes regarded him solemnly.

"One of your kind again." Hao said dismissively.

"It seems that time has taken basic manners from you, Hao. You were not this rude, or this violent, when we first met."

"When your ancestor met me, I was a different man." Hao snapped. "You're name's probably Kia too, isn't it?"

"It was and always will be." Kia replied. "You've forgotten many things, Hao Asakura."

"Like what?" Hao scoffed.

"Well, there's the manners situation, but you've forgotten far more important things, like how to care about someone else besides yourself."

"Excuse me?"

"You've stopped thinking about other people as people, they're merely pawns to you, something that can be used and thrown away at your leisure." Kia persisted. "You've turned away from Life, lost sight of what it means to be human."

"I'm not human!" Hao roared angrily.

"No, you lack empathy, selflessness, mercy." Kia's eyes were flinty. "That is what makes someone human, and you've lost that, so, what does that make you instead?" Hao stared her a moment, trying to understand what she was implying.

"What do you want here, besides to insult me?" He finally demanded.

"My Mother Goddess asked me to come. She remembers your years of service to Her and laments the loss of a good servant."

"Is that all?"

"No, of course not. You're quickly losing your chances, Hao, and the Mother does not like to see her children fall." Kia replied. "She asked that I come... and give you a lesson."

"A lesson?" Hao repeated in disbelief. Kia didn't answer him. Instead she began to chant in a soft, sibilant tongue. Hao felt the hair on the back of his neck rise, but before he could think to try to get away, Kia lifted her hands and pointed at him. What felt like an icy wind washed over him, numbing him briefly and he closed his eyes against the sting.

"There, it's done." He heard Kia say. He opened his eyes and let out a yelp at the sight of his hands. They'd turned into massive, paw-like appendages covered in dark brown fur and tipped with blunt claws. He turned his head and looked at the rest of his body, finding it much bigger and covered in shaggy fur. His legs were animal-like in that the knee turned backwards, though he could still stand on two, he had a feeling that four-legged running would be more comfortable to him. A thick, bushy tail extended from his backside as well.

"What have you done to me?" He roared, barely able to recognise his own voice. It was deeper, rougher, almost a growl.

"It is a spell. You recall the tale Beauty and the Beast, do you not?" Hao nodded dumbly at her. "True tale, a friend of mine developed the spell, gods rest her soul. I simply tweaked it a little to serve my own end. You will remain a beast until you can learn to care for someone besides yourself. The spell will be lifted only when you sacrifice yourself for another."

"I'll be dead then." Hao snapped. She gave him a mysterious smile.

"It will be the end of a life, yes." She replied. She said nothing more, backing into the trees. She vanished completely, leaving Hao alone. He dashed to the place that he'd seen her disappear, clumsily trying to stay upright on two legs. She was gone though, completely and totally. He huffed, bring one paw-hand up to rub at his face, only slightly surprised at the feel of a thick snout.

Without thinking about it he began to walk, this time on all fours. His shoulders were somewhat higher than his hindquarters in this position and he could feel that his front limbs were a little more thick and muscular as well. Large ears twitched as he moved, picking up the sounds of the forest.

He didn't really pay attention to any of these things, however. His mood was, if possible, even darker than before and he wanted nothing more than to rip something apart. The demons that had settled into the forest when he'd arrived followed after him eagerly, revelling in his hatred, until he roared at them and then they scattered, yipping in fright.

He growled to himself and headed up through the rocky terrain towards his house nestled in the foothills of the mountains. The air was crisp, cold, and soon it would probably snow, though the snow wouldn't make it past the foothills.

Hao pushed open the door of his house and went straight to the living room. He jerked and let out an undignified yelp of surprise because sitting in his chair was Kia. "What do you want now?" He demanded.

"There were a few things I neglected to mention, I'm afraid I was a little angrier than I let on and it made me forget." Kia replied calmly. "First of all, your powers. You have some left to you, the rest being sealed away. The spell has left you enough power to be able to deal with the demons in the forest if they become a problem."

"Wonderful." Hao said sarcastically.

"Also, since you are alone at the moment, and your appearance would simply frighten anyone who saw you, I have taken the liberty of enchanting your kitchen so that you don't run out of food. You will still have to cook of course, but you will find an endless supply of ingredients at your disposal to do so."

"So kind of you." Hao sneered. "Now will you leave?"

"Of course, I will allow you to brood." She said, smiling. She got up and moved to the door. Hao heard the front door close and then grumpily went to go lie down by the fireplace. He lifted a hand and the wood in the fireplace ignited, creating a cheery blaze. The bright colour and warmth did nothing to lift his mood, and he simply stared broodingly into the fire for a long while.

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Wolf: Review plz!


	2. Chapter 2

Wolf: I own nothing!

Hao didn't realize he'd fallen asleep until he was awoken by a particularly loud snap from the still-burning firewood. He gazed at the dying fire, unable to muster the energy to move at that moment. He'd been cursed, and sentenced basically to death with that curse. He snorted; like he would ever put himself in harm's way for someone else, how ridiculous.

His stomach rumbled, coaxing him out of his musings. He groaned and stood up, lifting himself up on his hind legs and stalking towards the kitchen. He opened the fridge and stared at the food inside, wondering what he should try and make. True to her word, the fridge was stuffed full of fresh food. Hao took out a package of beef and several types of vegetables.

He encountered his first problem trying to get things out of drawers and cupboards. His hands were too big to fit comfortably into them. The next issue occurred when he tried to cut up the vegetables and beef. Once again, his massive hands encumbered him, and he cut himself open a couple times, swearing mightily each time. He finally gave up when he nearly punctured a hole in his palm, throwing his knife down in disgust.

He took a bowl of raw vegetables to the table and sat down while munching them. It did little to satisfy his hunger and made him even angrier than before. He needed something to distract himself from his troubles, so he got up, and decided to go for a walk.

The demons avoided incurring his wrath this time as he trudged through the forest. He'd tried walked on two legs for some time, but he as constantly tripping and so reluctantly settled onto all fours to walk. He was only glad that no one could see him like this, and after awhile he grudgingly admitted to himself that he moved quite a bit faster on all fours.

His brooding took up most of his attention, so he didn't notice that he'd strayed as far he did until he nearly tumbled out of the forest near Izumo. He halted and backed up, seeing the Asakura estate in the distance. He bared his teeth at it angrily, wishing he had enough power to burn it to the ground.

Movement in the field around the house caught his eye. He felt his ears prick up with interest and lifted his head higher to try and get a better idea of who was out walking. His sharp eyes settled on a flash of orange on the figure's head, and he knew without having to see up close that it was his brother out walking, all alone, not even his samurai spirit accompanying him.

An idea began to form in Hao's mind as he watched his brother; a crazy, wicked idea that made him grin viciously. He checked once more to make sure Yoh was alone and then slunk out of the forest, creeping towards Yoh. If Yoh turned around, the game would be up, but thankfully Yoh was blissfully unaware that he was being stalked.

It wasn't until he was right behind Yoh that his twin seemed to sense something amiss. Yoh was in the process of turning his head when Hao lifted one hand and hit Yoh over the head. Yoh dropped like a ton of bricks. Hao stood over him, waiting to see if anyone would notice or come running and then hoisted Yoh over his shoulder, running for the forest.

He ran for a couple more minutes while he was in the forest, just to make sure he'd gotten far enough away. He paused, panting lightly, one paw raised as he listened for sounds of pursuit. When none came he began to trot back to his house, gleefully chuckling, happy that his little plan had worked.

%&%&%&%

Yoh groaned as he came to, lifting one hand to clutch at his pounding skull. He had no idea what had happened, one minute he was walking along, next minute it was lights out. He was on high alert, wondering who, or what had knocked him out. He kept his eyes closed, trying to reason out who would want to hurt him that he knew.

"I know you're awake." A deep, growling voice said from somewhere above him. A heavy hand landed on his shoulder and claws dug into the skin, making him yelp. His eyes flew open and he looked into the face of a monster.

The face was somewhat wolfish, though the snout was thicker and a little shorter than an actual wolf. It was also huge, the body at least one and a half times bigger than a normal man and bulky. The creature actually put him in the mind of a werewolf, and Yoh's heart started pumping wildly as he considered what the creature wanted with him.

"Who are you?" He asked, trying to stay calm. Maybe it wasn't as bad as it looked.

"You don't need to know my name." The creature said harshly. "You will simply call me Master." Yoh's heart gave a sick jolt, but he put on a brave face.

"And why would I call you that?" He demanded, sitting up. The creature put his face close to Yoh's and he tried not to flinch.

"Because you are now my servant." The beast answered. Yoh frowned, not liking the beast's tone.

"And why should I do that?" He asked. The beast forced his face even closer, snarling into Yoh's face, showing off big sharp teeth.

"Because if you don't, I'll kill everyone living in that little estate of yours." The beast hissed. Yoh stiffened and stared at him in disbelief. The glower he received in return told him the beast was completely serious and willing to carry out his threat. Yoh couldn't even try to stop him, not without Amidamaru or his sword. His shoulders slumped and he nodded in defeat.

The beast grinned nastily at him. "Glad you could see it my way." He said condescendingly, roughly patting Yoh's head. Yoh winced and ducked away from the paw-like hand, giving the beast a reproachful look. The beast ignored the look. "The first thing you can do is make something for dinner."

"Any requests?" Yoh asked sarcastically. The beast gave him a hard look and flexed his fingers. Yoh didn't back down though.

"No, but if it's not cooked nicely I throw the whole thing out, allow you a taste of my temper and then withhold your food from you." The beast said idly. "Make enough for two, I suppose you must eat as well."

Yoh huffed and walked into the kitchen, looking in the fridge. He took out a package of chicken, some vegetables and found a package of rice in a cupboard. He was a little curious about the fully stocked kitchen, seeing as the beast probably didn't go grocery shopping, and there didn't seem to be anyone else here either.

He found an apron and got to work, part of his mind working on the puzzle of the beast. The fact that he didn't know him suggested that his kidnapping was random, but that didn't make a whole lot of sense either. But, Yoh didn't know anyone who looked or sounded like the beast. Maybe it was someone that his family had pissed off?

He set a pot boiling, pondering his questions. It was true that his family was used to keeping secrets, even from him. For the longest time he didn't know he was a twin, and that said twin was the most powerful shaman on the planet and enemy of their family. He sighed at the thought of Hao; he deeply regretted striking him down, but he'd done what was necessary. The survival of the human race had been at stake.

He shook his head; it wasn't good to dwell on such things, he already struggled out of depression right after the tournament, mostly for his friends' sake. He didn't want them to worry about him, didn't want to hurt them. So, he'd put on a happy face, tried desperately to convince himself that Hao wasn't dead, but as the days wore on, with no news, he was steadily sinking back.

He forced back the lump that rose in his throat as he stirred the rice in its pot. He probably could not afford to show tears here, not in front of the beast who had taken him captive. In a way, it was somewhat of a relief to be away from his family and friends; he didn't have to pretend as much anymore to be as happy-natured as he'd always been. Maybe he might even get some time to grieve.

"Dinner's ready." He called, making up two plates of food and taking off his apron. The beast loped in on two legs, bending slightly so that he didn't whack his head on the door.

"Dinner's ready, Master." The beast corrected with another nasty grin. Yoh gave him an annoyed look.

"Yes, Master." He growled.

"A little bit of backbone, that's good." The beast commented. "It would be no fun if you were docile."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Yoh demanded. The beast just took one of the plates from him and left the room. Yoh let out an irritated huff and sat down at the table. He picked at the food, his appetite nonexistent. Mechanically, he shovelled a few bites into his mouth, but stopped about halfway through his plate and just threw the rest of it out. The beast came back in while he was washing the dishes, wordlessly handed him his plate and just walked out again.

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Wolf: Review plz!


	3. Chapter 3

Wolf: I own nothing!

Hao lay in front of the fireplace, letting it warm his fur. He could hear Yoh clanking around in the kitchen, cleaning up from dinner. As he'd predicted it had been laughably easy to manipulate Yoh after threatening the people he cared about. That weakness was the exact reason that Hao only looked out for himself and no one else.

He chuckled darkly to himself, thinking about how confused Yoh must be in all of this. He'd decided not to tell Yoh who he really was, because it was fun to watch him squirm and wonder why he'd been targeted. Plus, if Yoh didn't know who he really was, he would be less inclined to try and 'get through to him' as he'd tried so many times during the tournament.

He turned his head at the sound of footsteps and regarded Yoh calmly. "In case you start foolishly thinking you can run off in the middle of the night I should tell you that you are miles away from your little house, and that there is a crowd of demons in the forest that won't hesitate to attack you if you go out." He informed Yoh calmly, smirking when the younger twin gulped nervously. "Other than that, you have free range of the house, but if I call, I want you by my side promptly, or else."

He was a little disappointed that Yoh had not responded to the challenge, but there was an odd cloudiness to his twin's gaze that suggested he was not wholly there. It didn't matter to Hao, so long as Yoh did what he was told, so he shook it off. With an impatient wave of his paw, he dismissed Yoh and returned to gazing into the fire.

"Do I sleep in a bed, or shall I sleep at your feet like a dog?" Yoh finally asked, some of the bite back in his voice. Hao smiled despite himself. He preferred Yoh with a little bit of fight in him.

"You may take one of the bedrooms as your own, for now." He replied, stretching lazily. "I may decide to make other sleeping arrangements for you later on."

"Of course." Yoh grumbled. Hao heard his footsteps move off and smirked.

"So this is your idea of breaking this curse, is it?" Hao leapt up, fur standing on end. He stared at Kia sitting so calmly in the chair by him.

"What are you doing here?" He asked harshly, keeping his voice low.

"I wanted to see how you were fairing." Kia said idly. "Clearly I have too much faith in you."

"What I do is my own business." Hao snarled. "I'm not about to end my own life to satisfy you."

"It's not me that cares so much." Kia said bluntly. She ran her hand through the fur on his flank. "Such anger, doesn't it get tiresome?"

"Anger fuels me." Hao retorted. Kia's eerie eyes stared him, but they were sad. He looked away from her.

"You really don't know what you've lost." She said softly. He turned to glare at her, but she was gone again.

%&%&%&%

Yoh walked up the stairs, feeling lonely. The only other creature here was the beast, and he couldn't talk to him, even if he wanted to. He had to admit that as much as he'd wished for time alone, he hadn't really wanted to be this alone. His heart constricted painfully at the thought of his family; did they think he was dead?

He turned into the first doorway he came to, finding a furnished bedroom with a futon lying on the floor. He flopped himself down on it and buried his face in the pillow. He let the pillow muffle his lonesome sobs for awhile. When he was done crying, he felt drained. He felt like sleeping, which wasn't unusual, but he also knew if he slept, the nightmares that had haunted him for weeks would come back.

He got up, shaking his head to clear some of the drowsiness away and padded out of the room, deciding to explore a little bit to keep his mind off things. He was quiet, because although the beast had said he had free range of the house, he didn't want to do anything to set him off. He felt he was pushing the boundaries as it was by acting a little rude.

The beast seemed somehow familiar to him, though he couldn't place why. Obviously he'd never met anyone like him before, otherwise he'd have remembered it. But all the same, he got the sense that he knew the beast, and not just in passing either. It confused him, but at least it gave his mind something to think about other than his own guilt.

He looked into one of the rooms he was passing and was surprised to see a large library inside. Surprised, because it didn't seem like the beast would have much luck reading books, but maybe he had simply stolen this place from someone else. Yo shuddered to think what the beast might have done to the previous owner if this was the case. Although, he'd seemed intelligent enough to perhaps enjoy reading.

He paused for a moment before the shelves, casting a furtive eye behind him. When nothing happened, he reached out and touched the spines of the books, looking at the titles. He selected a book about werewolves, smiling slightly at his sense of irony. He settled down in an armchair, sinking into the plush cushion, and began to read.

As time went on, the pull of sleep grew stronger, but he fought it. He didn't want to sleep yet, didn't want to dream. His eyelids drooped drowsily and he forced them open again, shaking his head to clear it. He wouldn't sleep, wouldn't...

%&%&%&%

Sometime after his conversation with Kia, Hao roused himself to look around for Yoh. The boy had been awfully quiet. He was almost a hundred percent sure Yoh wouldn't try to run off, but Yoh had surprised him before. He growled softly at the unpleasant reminder of his defeat at Yoh's hand. He'd underestimated Yoh once and it would not happen again, he told himself.

He poked his head into the first bedroom and inhaled, catching the scent of Yoh in there, but it was a little older. Yoh's scent seemed to consist of oranges and cream, light with a little bit of zest. He spared a moment of wondering if a person's unique scent had anything to do with personality before moving on.

He followed the scent to the library and peeked inside. Yoh was asleep in one of the chairs, a book dangling from one of his hands. His sleep didn't look very peaceful though, he kept jerking and letting out soft whimpers. He crept closer, oddly drawn to his sleeping brother.

Up close Yoh looked strangely vulnerable, his face twisted in either pain or grief, or a strange mixture of both. Another small whimper escaped Yoh's lips. Hao suddenly felt like he was intruding on something terribly private and backed off a little uneasily. This felt a little too much like trespassing.

He snorted to himself after a moment, chiding himself for his foolishness. Yoh was his to command right now, he needn't care what was private for the other. In spite of this train of thought, he decided to back out and leave Yoh alone. There was nothing remotely proper about poking fun at someone for having bad dreams, it wasn't as though they could control it. Hao didn't want to be too cruel to Yoh, he just wanted to jerk him around a little bit.

He walked out of the library and headed back downstairs. There wasn't a bed in this house that would accommodate his huge bulk, and the carpet in front of the fire was surprisingly comfy. He settled down in front of the fireplace and got it blazing again, looking into the flames.

He didn't know if he was going to keep Yoh forever. In fact, he had a feeling that Yoh would waste away to nothing if he was kept away from his friends and family for too long. He didn't know why he cared about that, seeing as he still did want to punish Yoh for beating him. Maybe he'd keep him for awhile, let him get all confused about why he was being made to be servant, and then reveal who he was just in time to kill him.

It wasn't the most elegant of plans, but he was sure he could revise it with a little bit of time. He had to admit the house seemed a little more homey with someone else living there, but he thought that might just be Yoh's natural chill vibes seeping into the place. It was kind of nice, whatever it was, probably worth keeping Yoh around for a long while before deciding to kill him.

He rolled over onto his back, putting all four feet up in the air and stretching. The new body wasn't really bad at all either. The lowering of his powers was somewhat annoying, but he was confident that he could get around it somehow, how powerful could Kia's spell have been anyways? It was all about finding the positives in his situation and with a full belly and a warm fire, he was hard-pressed to still feel even a little bit annoyed.

He was sure his moment of bliss wouldn't matter, so he decided to enjoy it while he could. He grinned to himself, mocking Kia silently. She thought that this spell could make him give in to his weak, human desires for companionship. He didn't need anyone else, and he would prove it by living out the rest of his life as a monster, if need be.

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Wolf: Review plz!


	4. Chapter 4

Wolf: I own nothing!

Yoh woke up with a stiff neck and back. "BOY!" He heard from downstairs. He sighed and stood up, working the kinks out of his body and replacing the book where he'd found it before heading down the stairs. The beast was scowling at him in the living room. "I do not like to be kept waiting." He said ominously.

"I didn't take very long." Yoh retorted. "You can't just expect me to drop everything and go whenever you bellow."

"Your tone borders on impertinence. I'll let it go, this time." The beast said idly. Yoh gazed into his eyes, refusing to back down. "Go make breakfast."

"A please would be nice." Yoh muttered as he walked past. This earned him a hard cuff on the back of his head and a warning growl. He made a face that he made sure that the beast wouldn't see and wandered into the kitchen. He was a little surprised to see that the fridge was fully stocked again, but then shrugged it off. Of course there would be magic involved.

He methodically made breakfast, and once again the beast took his to eat in the living room. Yoh sat down and ate a couple bites, but then put down his chopsticks. He stared down at the bowl, not really seeing it. His appetite had left him again and as it fled his guilt took up the space it had abandoned. He ate a couple more bites, because he knew he needed to eat, but the food made him feel sick to his stomach and so he stopped again.

"What are you doing?" The beast's harsh voice broke into his thoughts and he turned to look at him.

"Why do you care?" He asked. The beast said nothing, but handed over his bowl. Out of the corner of his eye Yoh saw the beast watching him as he dumped his unfinished breakfast in the garbage, his wolfish ears pricked in interest.

"The house needs dusting." The beast said. "Do it well." There was no mistaking the warning in his voice. Yoh just nodded and turned to the sink, starting to wash the dishes. When he peeked behind him, he saw that the beast had gone again. He sighed and finished up with the dishes. He looked in the cupboards for something to dust with, finding a couple of old clothes.

He tied his hair back and set to work, dusting every surface he could find. It wasn't hard work, and he was used to doing this sort of thing. Anna treated all of them like her personal slaves and made them do all the cleaning while she watched her shows. A stab of resentment pricked at his heart and he huffed; at least he was getting away from her for a little while.

He took the cloths outside to shake out the dust and shivered in the cold air. It was a lot colder here than it was in Izumo. The view took Yoh's breath away though. They were high on the slopes of the mountain foothills, so he could just see for miles over the forest. He gazed over it all, but didn't see Izumo at all. He chided himself for being foolish; of course the beast wouldn't live so close that he could actually see his home.

"What are you doing now?" Yoh blinked and saw the beast standing in front of the steps leading up to the porch.

"I was shaking out the dust cloths." Yoh said, raising the cloths to prove his point. "You've got a nice view here."

"Hm."

"It's cold though, do you think it will snow soon?" Yoh was trying to make a little bit of small talk. Maybe the beast wasn't so bad, maybe he could talk this out.

"Feels like there's a storm brewing." The beast answered. "Perhaps I'll toss you in it if you keep asking idiotic questions." Well, that squashed that idea. Yoh gave the beast a little bit of dirty look and went back inside to continue dusting.

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Hao couldn't help but laugh as he walked through the forest. The look of indignation that Yoh had given after he'd threatened to dump him out in a snowstorm was just priceless. It was way too much fun getting under Yoh's skin. It was definitely helping his mood having Yoh under his thumb.

As he walked he couldn't help but think about the other side of Yoh that he'd caught glimpses of, once last night while Yoh had been sleeping, and just before, with breakfast. Yoh loved to eat, so seeing him dump more than half of his breakfast uneaten was a little disconcerting. It wasn't as though he cared, really.

He'd just never really seen this side of Yoh before. Yoh was always so happy, almost sickeningly upbeat, and Hao didn't think he had it in him to act, well, depressed. That was the only way he could describe the behaviour he'd seen; Yoh seemed depressed. Hao scoffed because after all, what did Yoh have to be depressed about?

"Doing some deep thinking?" Hao jumped about a foot in the air and then glared at Kia, who gave him an impish smile in reply. "I was looking in on your brother, don't you think he's looking a little worn?"

"Yoh is a carefree, oblivious buffoon, there is nothing in this world that could make him 'worn.'" Hao said sarcastically.

"You don't think he's got troubles?" Hao snorted and shook his head. "You can't put people in a box, Hao, it doesn't work. There is no one way to describe an individual and to attempt to do so is ignorant and foolhardy."

"Don't presume to lecture me." Hao growled. "I've been on this earth longer than you." Kia's odd blue eyes bored into his.

"Are you sure about that?" Hao opened his mouth to answer, but she turned away from him and disappeared into the forest.

%&%&%&%

Late in the night Hao was woken up by the scrape of a window being opened upstairs. He lifted his head, ears twitching as he tried to discern what was going on. When no other sound reached his ears, he tried to settle back down. A nagging worry ate at his mind though, and he got up to check on Yoh.

A cool breath of fresh air greeted his nose when he got up the stairs and he searched for the source. The first bedroom was Yoh's and the door was closed, but Hao could feel that the cold air was coming from inside. He pushed open the door and stepped inside, eyes adjusting to the darkness.

Yoh's futon was empty, the sheets rumpled and cast aside. The smell on them was still strong, meaning Yoh had been here not that long ago. A distant part of his mind noted a slight change in Yoh's smell, almost like wet cardboard. It was a distinctly forlorn scent, but Hao ignored it in favour of figuring out where Yoh had gone.

The window was of course open wide, and Hao lifted himself up to stare out it, thinking the worst. But sitting calmly on the porch overhang, looking up at the sky, was Yoh. Hao stared for a moment, wondering what the hell Yoh was doing risking a cold or pneumonia sitting outside in subzero temperatures. He quickly squashed that thought, it sounded too much like he was caring about Yoh's health. Still, he was curious about Yoh's reason for being outside.

He knew he would not be able to fit through the window, so he walked downstairs, out into the night air and leapt up onto the roof. Yoh spared him a glance and then turned back to his regard of the night sky. "What are you doing out here?" Hao demanded harshly.

"Couldn't sleep." Yoh answered dully, shivering a little bit. "The stars are nice here." Hao blinked at the statement, as well as the admission that Yoh wasn't sleeping well. If there was one thing to say about Yoh it was that he liked to sleep and could pretty much fall asleep anywhere at any given time. The fact that he was admitting that he couldn't sleep seemed kind of... wrong, in Hao's mind at least.

He shook the thought out of his head and glanced up at the stars. They really were lovely. He'd not taken time to look at them in the last little while, which was a shame, because they were very beautiful and he'd always loved them. He sat down on the roof and looked up again, spotting the familiar constellations that he'd known since he was a child in his first life. A touch of wistfulness entered his heart, but he brushed it impatiently aside.

"Probably shouldn't stay out here for too long." Yoh suddenly sighed, getting up. Hao made the mistake of looking at him as he did so and for a moment met his brother's eyes. In them he found a dullness that had not been there before. He looked away quickly, heart hammering in his chest. He heard Yoh slide the window shut and let out a sigh of relief.

The cold didn't bother him, thanks to his thick fur, so he stayed outside a little longer, letting his racing heart calm down. He scolded himself for foolishness, for being so easily affected by Yoh and resolved to distance himself even more from Yoh. Two questions lingered though; what was up with Yoh, and why did it make him feel so agitated?

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Wolf: Review plz!


	5. Chapter 5

Wolf: I own nothing!

The next couple weeks marked a deterioration of Yoh's patience and willingness to be a servant to Hao. Hao was unusually astonished by the changes that occurred. At first Yoh had been so compliant, maybe a little rude, but he did what he was told without complaint. A few days after Hao had found him on the roof, Yoh had snapped angrily at him for his taunting, anger flaring in his eyes.

Hao had been so stunned that he'd done nothing about it at the time, but he figured it was just a one-time thing. But the next day it had happened again. So, Hao had smacked him upside the head, not too hard, just to remind him who was in charge.

Yoh was quiet for a couple days after that, subdued and a little out of it to be certain, but he wasn't fighting back anymore. Those were kind of boring days if Hao was going to be honest with himself. But then Yoh snapped at him again, this time in the kitchen and threatened him with a knife that he'd been holding. Hao had quickly done away with that little performance by threatening to go after his family.

A few more days had gone by without incident, but Hao started noticing other worrying trends about his twin during that time. Firstly, Yoh seemed to be eating less and less, giving him a distinctly sickly appearance. He also didn't seem to be sleeping, leaving huge dark shadows around his eyes. He moved listlessly, almost as though it were too much effort simply to move most of the time. He cried most nights as well.

The next time Yoh blew up at him, he whacked him hard enough to leave bloody scratches in Yoh's shoulder. It didn't seem to bother Yoh that much, but he was quiet for the rest of the night. Then the next day he had to threaten Yoh with destroying his family again and Yoh had backed down but called him a cold-blooded asshole in the process. He was quiet again for now, but Hao realized that it was only a matter of time before Yoh blew up again.

%&%&%&%

Yoh was a mess, he knew it. His moods were fluctuating so madly he felt like Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He tried so hard not to snap back at the beast, not wanting to get into a fight, but the pent up pain and self-loathing would just get wound tighter and tighter until the beast would say or do something that set him off, making him yell and even threaten the beast.

In between these periods of anger he just felt lethargic and empty. The anger was better, at least he felt somewhat energetic when he was mad, he just felt like he would drop dead when he wasn't, and what was worse, he sort of wanted to. But it scared him when he was angry, because he felt out of control of his actions.

He always regretted his outbursts, not only for the smacks and other hurts he received, but because it was so unlike him to snap like that. It scared him a little bit, and so he was always very quiet after his outbursts, hoping to avoid confrontation and bring the anger back to the surface. But, eventually it would always come back and he would find himself yelling again.

He was so tired too. He hadn't been eating or sleeping much, and it was starting to wear him down. He could barely get through making a meal without having to sit down at some point and catch his breath. He just couldn't bring himself to eat more, and when he slept he just had nightmares that woke him up anyways. This was his punishment for himself, that he'd denied himself while living with his family, so some part of him actually craved the pain he was inflicting on himself, knowing it was a poor exchange for the life he'd taken.

%&%&%&%

It was snowing outside, and it looked as though it was going to get worse over the next little while. Hao watched the snowflakes fall outside the window. He was lounging in the living room as usual, basking in the warmth of the fire. Yoh was in the kitchen, making a late supper. He'd been quiet for the past couple days, so Hao knew another outburst was brewing.

Some part of him felt bad for picking at Yoh until he snapped, but he mostly ignored that bit of him which spoke in a voice annoyingly like Kia's. Yoh deserved the little cuts and bruises he got from him, and more, for attacking and standing in his way. The exhausted, dismal expression on Yoh's face after each outburst made his chest feel tight though.

His ears tilted back towards the kitchen, hearing the movements that accompanied Yoh's cooking stop. He waited for them to start back up, but after two minutes or so, they did not and he decided to have a peek in. He peered around the corner of the kitchen quietly and found Yoh sitting on one of the kitchen table chairs, staring blankly at the wall.

Hao's stomach gurgled, reminding him that it was late and he was hungry. He stood up on his hind legs and stalked into the kitchen. "Sitting down on the job, are we?" He growled at Yoh. Yoh's head slowly turned and Hao received a glare in reply. "Do you need a reminder of who's in charge?" He asked, his voice soft and dangerous.

"Why don't you get off your fat ass for once and do some of the work." Yoh snapped at him. Hao stepped back a little and stared in surprise and then bared his teeth in a snarl. Yoh's expression turned horrified just as Hao brought one hand down and cuffed him, sending him out of the chair and smashing into the stove.

Hao stalked towards him, intending to get another hit in before leaving Yoh alone. Yoh scrambled to his feet and reached behind him, his expression at once terrified and furious. Hao lifted a hand but Yoh brought his own hands out from behind him and Hao was cracked in the head with a heavy frying pan.

He dropped to the ground and stared at Yoh in disbelief. Yoh stared back with the same expression for a moment and dropped the pan. Hao started to get up, and Yoh bolted. Hao tried to stop him, but Yoh dodged and was out of the room in seconds. Hao heard the howl of wind and then the front door slammed shut.

He snarled to himself as he got to his feet, rubbing one hand over his aching head. Let the stupid boy freeze out in the storm! "You just gonna let him die out there? This storm's getting pretty nasty." Hao turned his head and glared at Kia sitting at the kitchen table.

"He shouldn't have done what he did then."

"Can you really fault him for doing so?" Kia asked. Hao shifted, uncomfortable under her fierce gaze. "I think you do care, Hao, more than you want to admit. So, how is it going to feel knowing you let him run out to his death?" Hao looked away. "Your move." She said softly. He turned back and she was gone.

The wind howled around the house and Hao began to think of the numbing cold, not to mention the demons that still lurked around the house. "Fuck it." He swore, heading for the door. The only reason he was going out at all was that Yoh was a decent cook, and he didn't want to lose good meals. That was it, there was no sentimentality at all.

He wrenched the front door open, flinching at the icy air that blew in his face as he did so, and steeled himself, plunging into the snow. He could vaguely see Yoh's footprints in the rapidly falling snow, leading up the mountain slope! Was the kid really so stupid?

He loped through the snow, nose questing in the air, trying to get a lock on Yoh's scent. A sudden scream made him freeze for a moment. The scream came again, along with the unmistakable chattering laughter of demons. Hao sighed and ran through the snow heading for the sound.

In no time at all he came across Yoh being batted around by no less than four demons. Yoh was already hurt, a wound across his chest bleeding sluggishly onto the snow, staining it. He would try to get out of the circle and one of the demons would block him, swatting him away while cackling wildly. Rage bubbled up to the surface of Hao's mind.

He leapt into the middle of the demons and gave one a clout on the head that sent it spinning. "MINE!" he roared, baring his teeth at all of them. One of the demons was foolish enough to slash at him, drawing bloody scratches on Hao's forearm. Hao roared in rage and lifted that demon by its throat and threw it. The rest of them took one look at his enraged face and turned tail, running for their lives.

Hao snorted and turned back to Yoh. The boy had his arms wrapped around his chest with his hands shoved in his armpits, shivering violently. His teeth chattered and his lips had already turned a bluish colour. He stepped towards him and Yoh looked up at him, flinching back a little bit, bringing Hao's attention to his bare feet.

Hao looked back into Yoh's eyes and felt his heart sink a little. Yoh's desperate, despairing black eyes clearly asked 'why?' Hao moved towards him and Yoh moved back a couple steps, staggering a little bit. "Do you want to stay out in this storm?" Hao asked, though his voice wasn't nearly as harsh as he had meant it to be.

Yoh looked at him uncertainly, but when Hao moved forward again he didn't move away. Hao sighed, knowing that Yoh's feet would probably fall off if he made him walk back. Swallowing his pride he knelt down in the snow. "Well? Get on." He said in a resigned tone. Yoh stared at him owlishly for a moment before struggling up onto Hao's back. "You pull my hair you're getting dumped in the snow." Hao grumbled. Yoh's only answer was to lie down, his cheek pressed against Hao's neck, still shivering violently.

Hao stepped through the snow, but soon found himself in a complete white-out, unable to see even a few feet in front of his face. They weren't going to be able to find their way back in this, but they couldn't stay out and freeze to death. While thinking this Hao nearly ran nose first into a massive drift and an idea formed in his mind.

Snow was a very good insulator, so if they could get under the snow. He quickly began to dig into the side of the drift, against the wind. Once he had a big enough hole he settled down into it, watching the snow pile up and eventually encase them in their own little cave.

He eased Yoh off his back as their body heat began to warm up the little cave. Yoh was still shivering badly and he seemed to be unconscious as well. Hao decided to swallow just a little bit more of his pride and curled himself around Yoh's shaking body, offering his warmth to him. Yoh's shaking eventually stilled and Hao found himself with his head pressed against Yoh's chest. The soft thump of Yoh's heart lulled him into a peaceful slumber.

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Wolf: Review plz!


	6. Chapter 6

Wolf: I own nothing!

Hao's ears twitched and he opened his eyes, lifting his head. The howling wind had died down, and their little cave of snow had lightened. Very carefully he dug a small hole in the snow and nearly blinded himself staring right out at the sun. He winced and drew back, raising one hand to rub at his eye.

A moan beside him made him look down. Yoh stirred slightly in his sleep, but didn't wake. Caked blood showed through the rips in his shirt and Hao knew he should get them both back to the house. He dug his way out of the snow cave, blinking in the bright sunshine. Yoh started to shiver almost as soon as the hole was dug.

Hao sighed and turned around, moving to pick Yoh up. As soon as he touched Yoh, Yoh's eyes flew open and they stared up at him. Hao tensed up, waiting for Yoh to scream or try to back away from him. Yoh just stared at him with disoriented, confused dull eyes and didn't protest when Hao picked him, slinging him over one shoulder.

Yoh shivered and went limp again, and Hao was sure he'd passed out. He grumbled, but started walking through the snow on his hind legs. It got shallower as he travelled down the slope towards the house, until it was only a couple inches deep around the porch. He sighed again as he stepped inside the relative warmth of the house.

He set Yoh down on the couch in the living room and got the fire going. Yoh automatically curled up as small as possible, his body trying to retain its heat. Hao walked into the kitchen as Yoh let out a deep, hacking cough. "Great." Hao groused, searching for the first aid kit.

When he finally found the kit he went back into the living room. He had to push Yoh onto his back in order to get at the wound on his chest. Yoh made a soft muttering sound in his sleep but didn't wake up. Hao pulled his shirt off and started cleaning the wound, trying to avoid causing Yoh enough pain to wake him up. When he was done with that he clumsily bandaged the wound, cursing his ungainly hands.

When he was done he awkwardly bandaged his own wound and put the kit away. He looked down at Yoh sleeping in the living room, cocking his head slightly. In a rare show of compassion he found a blanket and wrapped it around Yoh's shivering form. This at least eased the chill in Yoh's body and he stopped shaking.

Hao snorted, nodding in satisfaction. He lay down in front of the fire and allowed the heat to soak into his own chilled limbs. The warmth made him sleepy and his eyelids began to droop as he lay there. Just before he drifted off he thought he felt a hand on his head and a voice whisper "Well done."

%&%&%&%

Yoh came to feeling warm and safe, so safe in fact that he didn't even bother opening his eyes to see where he was. All he knew was that he was warmly cocooned in blankets and someone was humming to themselves close by.

Suddenly a large, furry hand grasped his chin and a spoon was pushed into his mouth. Yoh swallowed the soup automatically and began to cough. He opened his eyes, but his vision was blurry and dark. Another spoonful was pushed into his mouth and he eagerly gulped up the hot liquid, feeling its warmth in his stomach. He allowed himself to be spoon-fed for a couple minutes before he felt himself starting to drift off again.

The hand holding up his head gently laid his cheek back on the pillow and he closed his eyes. He dozed there for a couple minutes, eyes flickering when he heard the crash of glassware and a string of growled curses. The call of sleep proved too strong to resist though, and he fell back into slumber a few moments later.

He woke up feeling a little bit better, with his head a lot less fuzzy. He could actually remember what had happened and sat upright quickly. Too quickly, because the room spun around him and he clutched at his aching head, moaning softly. He lifted his head again and looked around cautiously; it looked as though he were back in the beast's house.

He looked down at himself and saw a bandage wrapped awkwardly around his chest. He frowned slightly in confusion; first the beast had rescued him from the demons, and then he dressed his wound? It didn't make much sense to him considering how callous the beast had been every time before. He clutched at his chest as a deep, hacking cough bubbled up, doubling him over as he fought to breathe.

"God-damn it, I go through the trouble of rescuing you and you still sound like you're going to die." Yoh felt a light thump on his back and looked up into the glaring face of the beast. The beast turned away, grumbling and seemed to be fumbling with something. After a moment he turned back and pushed a spoonful of foul-tasting liquid into Yoh's mouth.

Yoh's face immediately contorted. "Don't you dare spit that out." The beast growled. "It's just cough syrup." He held up a bottle as proof and Yoh could see scratches in the plastic surface of it. He swallowed and shuddered at the taste. The beast snorted and walked back to the kitchen. Yoh noticed a crude bandage wrapped around his one forearm.

Yoh didn't have time to ponder this, because the beast came back bearing a steaming bowl in one hand. "I assume you can feed yourself?" Yoh nodded his head and took the bowl, coughing softly. The chicken and rice soup warmed his insides as it had before and cleared his head even more. He hungrily ate the whole bowl, the first large meal he'd eaten in days.

The beast huffed and took the bowl away, wandering back into the kitchen. After a moment Yoh heard a crack and a curse. He thought about the scratched bottle, the curses and the clumsy bandages and something clicked in his head. The beast was too big to be able to do some things with any sort of delicacy.

The beast hadn't made him his servant simply out of spite, he actually needed someone to help him with those tasks that were too tricky for his large hands. He probably figured that he'd be chased off if he'd asked for help, perhaps it had happened before, and so instead had forced Yoh to work for him. Yoh felt suddenly pity well up; here he had been only thinking about his own problems, and not considering that the beast had his own.

He sighed; when had he become so unobservant? He usually was able to pick up on such things, but with the fog over his entire life lately he'd barely been able to see his own path, let alone someone else's problems. Maybe it wasn't too late to mend things with the beast. The thought gave him hope and then depressed him again as he remembered the other who he couldn't mend things with and where that had gotten him.

The beast wandered back into the living room and lay down on the rug in front of the fire, ignoring Yoh. He pulled a first aid kit to himself and began to unwind the bandage on his forearm. Yoh bit his lip and then decided to take a chance.

"Here, let me do that for you." He said hoarsely. The beast looked up at him, his eyes unreadable as Yoh slid off the couch to sit by his side. Yoh took the kit from him, avoiding his eyes and unravelled the rest of the bandages, revealing the three parallel slashes in his flesh. He worked meticulously, cleaning the cuts first and then bandaging them up again.

"You know, if you needed help, I would have agreed if you'd asked." Yoh murmured.

"What?" The beast growled, shifting slightly.

"Your hands are too big for delicate tasks, that's why you make me do stuff like cooking, isn't it?" The beast said nothing. "I'm sure my family would have been willing to help if you'd asked."

"Your family and I do not have a good history." The beast snorted.

"Why?"

"I did some things they never forgave me for." The beast said simply.

"Oh, okay." Yoh said. "I apologise for the way I've been acting lately, I've just... not been myself."

"I did bait you." The beast pointed out, his voice gentler than Yoh had ever heard it.

"That's no excuse." Yoh asserted, though he was happy that the beast was taking some of the blame. The beast gave him an odd look. "I am willing to help you still, but I don't want to be treated like just a slave."

"Hm, I suppose you would work better if you were happy." Yoh didn't mention that he wasn't happy anyways. "You're not going to blow up at me like that again, are you?" The beast asked warily.

"If you don't bait me, probably not. I can't make any promises though."

"Why not?" Yoh sighed.

"I did something. Something bad, and I'm..." He grimaced. "I'm trying to forgive myself, but it's not working."

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Wolf: Review plz!


	7. Chapter 7

Wolf: I own nothing!

Hao stared at Yoh, trying to process what he was saying. Yoh had just admitted to being depressed over something he'd done, something he considered bad. The only thing that Hao could even begin to think that Yoh would feel guilty over was his own 'death', seeing as he had yet to reveal that he was in fact alive.

That fact startled him. Yoh regretted hurting him, possibly killing him? He'd always thought Yoh hated him, though looking back on things Yoh had always been friendly towards him, up until their last battle against each other. Hao knew that Yoh was no killer, a trait that made him weak in Hao's eyes, so believing he'd killed someone would definitely weigh heavily on his soul.

This information threw Yoh's cyclic blow-ups in a new light. Instead of them being tantrums at having been made a slave, Hao now knew them to be the result of repressing the negative emotions in Yoh's heart and then Hao's taunting finally making him boil over. Looking at it that way, Hao felt like an asshole, because he knew Yoh probably felt bad about lashing out and so would repress himself again and the cycle would continue.

It was for this reason that he had felt the need to take some of the blame for Yoh's outbursts. Yoh's dull eyes watched him warily and Hao realized that he'd been gripping Yoh's shoulder. He released him and stood up. Yoh tried to stand as well, but wobbled and would have toppled over if Hao had not caught him.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked harshly. Yoh blinked up at him, looking confused.

"Isn't almost mealtime?" He asked hoarsely.

"You are not doing any sort of work until you can at least stand without falling over." Hao replied fiercely. He mentally smacked himself for sounding like a mother hen, but it was too late to take the words back. Yoh merely nodded at him, his cloudy eyes already tired and promptly tried to lie down, on the floor.

Hao grumbled and helped Yoh get back on the couch and covered him in the blanket. "Thank you for coming for me." He heard Yoh say sleepily as he turned away. Hao turned around, mouth open but unsure of what he was going to say, but Yoh had already fallen asleep.

He sighed and flopped down on the rug in front of the fire, resting his head on his forearms. He didn't know what to do now. His new discoveries about Yoh made him reluctant to hurt him, though he wasn't sure why. What did it matter to him that Yoh was depressed? But then again, the fact that Yoh actually felt bad about 'killing' him gave Hao a warm feeling inside. Yoh actually cared in some way.

For some reason that fact just stuck out in his mind; Yoh had cared enough to feel bad about cutting him down, enough that he was working himself into a depression. If Yoh had been one of those that believed he deserved to burn in hell for all eternity and that he was a monster, he would be celebrating 'killing' him, not mourning it.

He got up, starting to pace. "Interesting day?" Hao lifted his head and growled, stalking into the kitchen to confront Kia. She was sitting at the table with two mugs beside her, steaming gently. He glared at her and she gestured to the mug.

"Why do you keep appearing here?"

"It's my spell, it would be careless of me not to keep an eye on things now wouldn't it?" She replied with infuriating calm. "Try the tea, it's lemon raspberry, very good." Hao stayed standing, staring at her. "You went out and got him."

"Only because I can barely get through making soup without burning myself." Hao snapped.

"Oh? Then why didn't you make him make dinner, as opposed to tucking him back into bed?" Kia asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"I don't care about him." Hao hissed through bared teeth. "I don't care that he could have died out there and I certainly don't care that he's depressed over believing he killed me. In fact, that right there is a prime example of why it's foolish to care about anyone other than yourself. It makes you weak."

"Tell that to the mother that would fight off someone twice as big as her to save her child." Kia replied. "If my sources are correct, Yoh displayed great courage even daring to go up against you in the first place. He probably knew he was likely to die and he did it anyways. I call that strength."

"And I call it idiocy." Hao snapped.

"Whatever it was, it worked." Kia pointed out. Hao growled and stalked towards the fridge. "I think you need to ask yourself why exactly this scares you so much." Hao spun around, ready to snap a retort, but she was gone again.

"I hate that she can do that." He muttered to the open air. He dumped the now cold mug of tea in the sink and decided to wait until later to try and wash it; he wasn't in the mood for breaking more dishes at the moment. Instead he decided to go lie down on the rug again to think. He was starting to get bored out here.

He had an immense library, but after the first time nearly shredding the pages of one of his books he left that alone. Teasing Yoh had eased some of his boredom, but he couldn't do that right now. He could take a walk, but he wanted to be around in case Yoh tried something stupid. There really wasn't anything for him to do.

He could find new and inventive ways to make Yoh's life miserable, but he discarded that idea quickly. It didn't seem as satisfying to torment Yoh now that he knew that his outbursts were due to depression. Why he decided that he didn't know, some part of him thought that it should be more fun to torment Yoh now, knowing that doing so would make him spiral even deeper into depression and maybe drive him to suicide.

Hao lifted his head and stared at Yoh's sleeping face in surprise at this last thought. Would Yoh ever think of suicide? He thought that if Yoh felt isolated enough, and guilty enough that he might actually do it. That revelation made his heart feel oddly heavy and tight. Did he really want Yoh so hopeless, so desperate to escape his feelings of guilt that he would kill himself?

The answer shocked him a little bit; no, he did not. He'd wanted to hurt Yoh, maybe even kill him, but that had been anger talking along with the assumption that Yoh was savouring his victory against him. But now he knew that Yoh hadn't been celebrating, but that he'd been slowly sinking into depression, and that changed Hao's way of thinking about it. Yoh was essentially punishing himself for what he thought he'd done. Hao knew from experience that the harshest judge was one's self.

While he was thinking about this Yoh began to thrash in his sleep, uttering soft, low moans of what sounded like pain. The fur along Hao's spine fluffed up at the clearly tormented sound and he couldn't help a small growl. The instinctive reaction embarrassed him and he forced himself to calm down. That is until Yoh began to thrash wildly.

Just before Hao could consider trying to wake up the distressed teen, Yoh rolled over and fell off the couch. Hao's quick reflexes kicked in and he caught Yoh before he hit his head on the floor. The fall didn't wake Yoh up, but he did calm down after that. Hao was glad he didn't wake, because their positions made it look like he was cradling his younger brother.

His fingers unconsciously carded through Yoh's spiked hair. He looked down at Yoh's bare torso, seeing the scars there for what felt like the first time. Of course he'd known Yoh had scars, but he'd never really thought about what that really meant. Many of the scars were from people who had tried their hardest to kill Yoh for various reasons.

Thinking a little more, Hao realized that some of those people had become Yoh's friends and allies, Ren Tao being the most notable. Yoh had not howled for revenge when he'd been hurt, unlike so many he took a different route, one of forgiveness and understanding. It confused Hao that Yoh would never get mad that people were trying to kill him, especially when the accusations were undeserved.

He began to lift Yoh back on the couch and then reconsidered. If Yoh was to have another nightmare he would probably fall off, possibly breaking something and then where would Hao be? Hao grabbed the blanket off the couch and cocooned Yoh in it, laying him down gently on the rug. He grabbed the pillow and pushed it under Yoh's head.

There, now Yoh couldn't hurt himself if he started to flail about again. He found he was still stroking Yoh's hair and hastily removed his hand. What was wrong with him? One little admission of guilt from his brother and he all the sudden becomes brother of the year? What the hell was up with that? Why did Yoh have such an effect on him?

If he was going to be perfectly honest with himself he would have to admit that Yoh had been doing this sort of thing for awhile. Little things, like watching Yoh smile and laugh with his friends would dredge up feelings of jealousy. Yoh's constant refusal to join him would occasionally cause a small amount of pain in his chest.

He huffed, but then after a moment's consideration, decided that the safest option to keep Yoh from hurting himself in his sleep was to stay with him. Without a second thought Hao curled himself around Yoh's prone body, chiding himself quietly for his foolishness. Yoh shifted in his sleep and nuzzled against Hao's flank, one hand clutching at his fur childishly. Hao sighed; he really was going soft after all.

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Wolf: Review plz!


	8. Chapter 8

Wolf: I own nothing!

Yoh groggily opened his eyes to find himself staring directly at the fire. He'd been moved to the floor it seemed, sometime while he was sleeping. He freed his arms from the blanket wrapped around him and slowly sat up with it draped around his shoulders.

He sort of remembered having his nightmare while he was sleeping, but it had gone different from what it usually did; instead of him waking up just before Hao was about to kill him, he'd been whisked away in the dream and carried into the clouds. He'd been put down in the clouds and a comforting, warm force stayed with him for the rest of the dream. It was odd, looking back at it, but he hadn't been woken up, so he was happy.

A low curse from in the kitchen drew his attention and he tried to stand up. He succeeded, wobbling slightly, and tottered into the kitchen. The beast turned and glared at him. "Well, someone's finally awake." He growled, but Yoh could hear very little bite in his tone. Yoh gave him a warm smile and the beast huffed in reply.

The beast handed him the bottle of cough syrup. Yoh took off the top and swallowed some, grimacing at the taste. "Thank you." He said politely. The beast snorted in reply and turned his attention back to the stove. "Do you need any help?" Yoh asked tentatively. The beast eyed him for a moment, making him squirm uncomfortably.

"You can do the dishes." The beast finally replied.

"You sure you don't want me to do the cooking?" Yoh persisted, knowing the beast was probably burning himself quite often.

"Do you really think I want you collapsing over a hot stove?" The beast countered contemptuously.

"You have a point." Yoh admitted and went over to the sink. Soon he was up to his elbows in soapy water, humming softly in contentment. He didn't mind working, really, what he didn't like was being treated like a slave, or in Anna's case, that what he did was never enough. He was tidy by nature and a clean space helped him center himself.

"What's your name?" He asked after some time. The beast turned slightly, glaring at him. Yoh gazed back calmly.

"You can call me Daremo (nobody)." He said finally, grudgingly. Yoh frowned at him. He knew that the beast was messing with him, but at least he wasn't making him continue to call him Master.

%&%&%&%

Hao quickly finished up with making dinner and took his food into the living room, cursing himself. Why had he given Yoh something to call him by? That was just encouraging the foolish boy, making him think somehow that he would be his friend.

Sure enough as soon as Hao had sat down to eat Yoh had appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, his brows scrunched in slight worry. He should have just yelled at him to go away, but stupidly he just decided to ignore him and hope he'd go away. No such luck, of course, as Yoh wandered over to sit down next to him, pulling the blanket back over his shoulders.

"Where do you come from?" Yoh asked curiously. Hao suppressed a groan and made the next mistake of looking at Yoh. The honest curiosity in his brother's eyes disarmed him.

"I'm Japanese." He answered shortly, trying to convey a desire not to talk about himself. Apparently Yoh was immune to his vibes.

"Are there any others like you?"

"Do you think I just sprang up from the ground?" Hao asked sarcastically. Yoh ducked his head and gave him a goofy smile. "I had a mother."

"Had?"

"She died." Hao replied grumpily. Yoh seemed to, finally, get that Hao didn't want to talk about it.

"I'm sorry." He said instead of pestering Hao further. Hao grunted and turned his attention to his dinner, which was rapidly turning cold. Out of the corner of his eye he watched Yoh, seeing him get up after he'd only finished half his food. The sensible part of him told him just to leave it alone, but a part of him that had lain dormant and shackled away took hold.

"Sit down and finish that food or I will force-feed it to you." Yoh gave him an odd look, but sat back down to eat. Hao watched him like a hawk, making sure he ate every bite. He wasn't doing it to be nice, he just needed to make sure that Yoh wouldn't drop unconscious from hunger. It had nothing to do with wanting him to be healthy.

"I'm done." Yoh said, sounding mildly annoyed. Hao waved him off impatiently. Yoh wobbled as he stood up and Hao had the sudden image of him falling and smashing into something flash into his mind.

"Go lie down." He growled. "On the floor so that if you start thrashing about you don't kill yourself falling off the couch." Yoh blinked at him, but Hao had read the tiredness in his eyes correctly. Yoh lay down on the rug and pulled the blanket around him, letting out a grateful sigh.

Hao stalked into the kitchen, holding both his and Yoh's bowl, painfully aware that he was going to have to do clean-up by himself again because of that stupid little stunt. He couldn't bring himself to be too mad though, for some odd reason. His insides felt warm, probably the meal, he told himself, but his mind kept replaying the look of grateful relief Yoh had given him.

He shrugged it off. If Yoh was happy he wasn't getting depressed and doing stupid shit like not eating or running out into snow storms, right? If he had to be nice to Yoh to keep his personal servant around a little longer, so be it. It didn't seem to be too hard to act nice enough that Yoh would be happy anyways.

Having Yoh talk to him, though, that was something he was a little wary of. It wasn't that he didn't like the way Yoh spoke to him in a friendly way, in fact it was just the opposite, and that's what scared him a little bit. He'd forgotten what it was like not to feel lonely, to the point that he hadn't realized he was lonely until Yoh's actions pointed it out.

The affect of this was that he was starting to crave the closeness of another person, even after just a simple quick conversation Hao found himself wanting more. This was the exact reason he distanced himself from everyone, even his own followers, he didn't want to want this! It was dangerous, and it made him weak.

And yet knowing this he couldn't, and didn't want to, stop the way he felt when Yoh spoke to him as though he was just like everyone else. For just one moment he felt as though he were wanted, as though he wasn't completely alienated by his powers and his own actions. He couldn't allow himself to believe that he was anything but.

He couldn't allow himself to feel for anyone else, because they always let him down in the end. He couldn't really blame his mother for dying, she would have stayed if not for those brainless, violent humans. Matamune had been the one that had hurt, he'd really thought that the cat spirit would stay by him, but he'd helped kill him in his second life instead.

He'd promised himself after that he would care only for himself, because letting someone else in only got him hurt, and he couldn't and wouldn't bear that again. He had to distance himself from Yoh again, work on not permitting him to get under his skin like he could, discourage him somehow from acting all friendly towards him.

_Don't hurt him_. A voice inside him cautioned. That would be difficult to do, but hurting Yoh would likely result in a downward spiral into depression because Yoh was so weak and ruled by his emotions. He curled his lips back into a sneer. Yoh's response to loneliness associated with his guilt had been to fall into despair, that proved he was much weaker than Hao was.

But then again, Hao had been thrust into a world all on his own from a young age, he barely remembered being anything but lonely, it was just a fact of his life. Yoh, however, had his family, and later on his friends to feed his thirst for affection and acceptance. It was no wonder that feelings of sudden isolation would push him to extremes.

For the first time since they'd been born together, Hao had to grudgingly admit that maybe Yoh was a separate entity from him, not his other half, like he'd always asserted. Wasn't the fact that Yoh was able to escape being absorbed into him proof of that as well? Hao hated being wrong, but he was caught this time.

He stalked back into the living room, staring down at Yoh. His twin was sleeping again, his eyes moving beneath his closed lids. He looked small lying there, fragile. Hao knew the reserves of strength hidden beneath the surface though. It just was odd to see him like this, vulnerable.

He hesitated a moment and then lay down next to Yoh. Yoh instinctively leaned into him again, mumbling incoherently as he snuggled up to the warm, furry body against him. Hao sighed and laid his head down; for a little while he could pretend and not have it hurt.

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Wolf: Review plz!


	9. Chapter 9

Wolf: I own nothing!

Hao must have dozed off, because it wasn't until Yoh jerked in his sleep that he became aware again. Alarmed, he looked around, but Yoh was sleeping peacefully again. Hao couldn't help a faint smile at the curled up position Yoh was sleeping in; he looked like a puppy. Impatiently he shook that thought of out his head and stood up.

He wandered into the kitchen, muttering darkly to himself about foolish younger brothers. He wasn't paying attention so he almost had a heart attack when he found Kia sitting at the kitchen table again. "What the fuck?" He yelped, glaring at her. She smiled benignly at him.

"You know, you and Yoh sleeping together like that was very cute." She stated.

"How long were you watching?" Hao growled dangerously.

"Only a couple minutes." Kia replied. "Still too afraid to admit you might actually be starting to become fond of the kid?"

"I'm not afraid of anything, and I do not care about him." Hao roared. He winced and then lowered his voice. "I simply wanted to be sure he wouldn't hurt himself thrashing about in his sleep."

"Mm-hm." Kia smirked at him. "And why did you just start whispering?" Hao opened and then shut his mouth with an audible click. His mind had frozen and he could not think of a plausible excuse. "I'll ask you again, Hao. What is it about this that scares you?"

"I'm not afraid." He said hollowly. Kia's eerie eyes bored into his for a long, uncomfortable minute.

"Suit yourself." She finally said, getting up from the table and heading out. "Have a good day." She called before he heard the front door shut.

"Was someone just here?" Hao groaned at the sleepy voice that followed the sound of the door. "I thought I heard voices." Yoh explained, sitting up as Hao poked his head back into the living room.

"There was no one here, you were just imagining things." Hao lied. Yoh stared at him a moment and Hao wondered if he realized he was lying. Yoh finally shrugged however and stood up. Hao noted that Yoh didn't seem to wobble as he stood this time.

"Is there anything you want me to do?" Yoh asked. Hao was struck by how easily Yoh had seemed to forgive his previous behaviour. Why didn't Yoh seem able to hold a grudge?

"There's a few hours until mealtime, so no." Hao responded. "Do whatever you feel like." He grumpily instructed. He brushed by Yoh and went upstairs, heading to the library. Once there he paused, wondering what he was doing there. It wasn't as though he could read the books, not with his massive paws and claws.

He didn't notice Yoh had followed him up until the younger twin's face was looking up into his with an expression of worry. "Are you okay, Daremo?" Yoh asked him. Hao forced himself to look away from the gentle, earnest eyes that threatened to break down all his defences. Out of the corner of his eye he watched Yoh chew at his lip as he looked around the room.

"You can't read them, can you?" Hao lifted his head, startled by Yoh's question.

"What?"

"Your claws would damage the books, wouldn't they?" Yoh clarified, his dark eyes sympathetic.

"Yes." Hao was too surprised by Yoh's insight to think of something else to say. Yoh chewed on his bottom lip for a moment more, looking thoughtful.

"Would you like me to read to you?" Hao stared at Yoh. "You have all these books, so you obviously like them, so it's a shame you can't enjoy them."

Once again Yoh had surprised him with his empathy. He was also surprised by Yoh's quick reasoning, still believing him to be a bumbling idiot. It seemed he was being proved wrong about that as well, but it could have just been luck.

"I suppose that would be acceptable." Hao growled. "Find the Odyssey." He ordered. Yoh walked around the shelves, looking for the book. Hao managed a small smirk. If Yoh was truly an idiot, he would have mounds of trouble with the prose and cadence of the Odyssey.

"Here it is." Yoh said triumphantly, coming back. "Are you going to sit down in the chair?" Hao looked at the armchair, which was fairly big, but dwarfed by his large, bulky frame. He gave Yoh a scornful look and the younger twin winced. "Sorry, that was a bit of a stupid question."

Yoh sat down on the floor cross-legged, and looked up at Hao expectantly. Hao huffed and laid down, feeling uncomfortably like a dog. It was Yoh's presence that made him feel like that, because he'd lain down like this often enough before. Yoh didn't seem to notice his discomfort and simply flipped open the book.

After a few stumbles Yoh fell into the rhythm of the poetic verse that the Odyssey was written in, much to Hao's surprise. Yoh seemed to get right into the story, to the point where he was making up different voices for the characters. Hao fell into the story, to the point that he hadn't realized that Yoh had moved closer until a hand shyly brushed through the fur on his back.

He jerked away, giving Yoh a reproachful look. "I'm sorry." Yoh said, moving back. "I was just curious."

"About what?" Hao rumbled.

"I wanted to see if your fur was as soft as it looks." Yoh answered, looking sheepish. Hao oddly felt the need to preen a little bit.

"And?"

"You do have soft fur." Yoh mumbled, looking down and going very, very red. Hao almost laughed at the expression, but kept his composure. He didn't want to seem too friendly to Yoh. He still needed to figure out how he was going to keep him at a distance.

"I think it's about time you got to making something for us to eat." Hao growled, though it came out a lot gentler than he'd meant it to. Yoh nodded and moved to stand up.

"Do you have a bookmark or something?" He asked, gesturing to their unfinished book. Hao nodded his head and pointed at a desk with drawers. Yoh picked out a bookmark and laid the book on the desk for later use. Hao stayed lying down as Yoh left the room, waited until he heard him go down the stairs and then, and only then, did he allow himself the smallest of snickers.

He couldn't believe that Yoh had actually had the audacity to touch him, to pet him! It was absolutely intolerable and he would have to discourage it. The touch had been nice though, a small part of him argued. It had been so long since someone had touched him in a purely friendly manner, and now it only added to Hao's growing craving for companionship.

He snorted softly and decided to go downstairs to check on Yoh. Only to make sure he wasn't going to keel over on the job, of course. It had nothing to do with the yawning pit of loneliness that had opened up in his heart when Yoh's friendly, happy presence had left the room.

He padded silently down the stairs, ears perking at the sound of humming from the kitchen. He peeked inside, thinking Kia had come back, but no. To his surprise it was in fact Yoh who was softly humming happily as he worked in the kitchen. Hao sat down and cocked his head, trying to understand how Yoh could go from grumbling incessantly while working, to humming contentedly.

Yoh turned around and jumped about a foot in the air when he saw him. "Whoa, I didn't even hear you come in." Yoh said with a chuckle.

"You were humming." Hao said simply.

"Yeah, I hum when I'm working."

"You never hummed before while you were working." Hao pointed out.

"If I'm happy, I hum. I don't mind working, I just don't like being made to feel like I'm some kind of lowly slave. I get enough of that at home." Yoh answered.

"What do you mean by that?" Hao asked, honestly confused.

"I have an arranged marriage, and the girl that I'm engaged to, she's..." Yoh paused, looking uncomfortable. "The nicest way to put this would be to say she's not very nice."

"But you could find other words for her." Hao ventured.

"She makes everyone else do all the work while she sits around. Granted, she did train me hard and it paid off, but most of the time she treats me like a servant, and nothing I ever do is good enough." Yoh sighed. "I just believe that marriage is supposed to be an equal partnership, and all she seems to want is a personal slave. I don't know what to do, because if I talk back she hits me, and I'm not comfortable hitting back, you know?"

Hao did understand this; there were some things you just knew you shouldn't do, and for Yoh hitting a girl was one of them. He'd always thought Anna and Yoh were a poor match; Yoh was too kind to give her a shove back when she shoved him, and Anna clearly didn't appreciate the tolerance and willingness to please she'd gotten in her future husband.

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Wolf: Review plz!


	10. Chapter 10

Wolf: I own nothing!

Yoh felt a little surprised that he'd confided in Daremo about Anna. He normally didn't talk about his problems, not even when his friends were complaining about their own. He was, in a way, the heart of their group, the optimist, the lifter of spirits. He couldn't be that for them if he was moaning about the problems he had, so he mostly just grinned and bore it.

Maybe that's why he felt comfortable telling Daremo about it. He didn't have to pretend for him, Daremo wasn't looking to him to be the leader, tell him that it was going to be alright. Yoh a weight that he hadn't realized was there lift off his shoulders and he sighed in relief.

"What's that noise for?" Daremo growled. Yoh looked at him, and decided that the truth wouldn't hurt.

"I was just thinking it's been a long time since I've been able to tell someone my problems." Daremo's ears shot up in surprise at that and Yoh frowned slightly at the reaction.

"And why have you never been able to vocalize your troubles?" Daremo asked in what Yoh could hear was supposed to be a casual tone, but there was a ripple of confusion underneath it.

"I was the positive one, the one that everyone looked to in order to reassure themselves that everything was going to be alright." Yoh replied. "If I was having troubles, who were they supposed to be supported by?"

"Don't you think that's a little unfair to yourself, to put your own problems aside?" Daremo asked.

"I guess so." Yoh shrugged. "But sometimes you have to sacrifice for those you care about, you know?"

"Not really." Yoh stared at Daremo. "The only people that ever cared left long ago. Besides, caring about someone else only gets you hurt."

"Maybe." Yoh agreed softly. "But it would be a lonely and sad life without them, in my opinion."

Daremo only grunted and took the bowl of food offered to him by Yoh, walking out of the kitchen. Yoh turned off the stove and prepared his own bowl before following Daremo into the living room. Daremo growled slightly at the sight of him, but there wasn't any real threat in the growl, so Yoh sat down next to him.

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This was what Hao got for being curious and acting nice; his twin was now clinging to his side like a limpet, grinning dopily. How the hell was he supposed to pry the boy away from him now that Yoh was seemingly convinced that he was now his friend? It was an odd little turn of events, but Hao had to confess he wasn't completely annoyed with the whole situation.

It was kind of nice to have someone sitting with him, just enjoying his company. Opacho had liked to be by him, but she practically worshiped him, so it was with a mixture of awe and fear that she sat. Yoh was wholly comfortable just sitting there, not needing to chatter incessantly as some of his more nervous followers did in his presence.

Add to that the fact that Yoh seemed comfortable enough with him to share secrets that he hadn't told his friends before, and Hao was one confused beast. He didn't understand how Yoh could go from snapping and growling at him to acting like none of it had ever happened. He supposed Yoh was happier now not being taken for granted and having his buttons pushed, but still, there was no grudge at all?

He watched Yoh carefully, seeing him pick at his food once again. A sharp growl made the younger look up at him, the gentleness in his dark eyes disarming him. "Eat." He commanded harshly. Yoh smiled again and ate with renewed gusto, apparently wanting to please him.

That was the other thing about Yoh, Hao realized, he was always out to please other people. He was totally unselfish, devoting his time to everyone else before even considering himself. Even allowing Anna to walk all over him was an indication of his selflessness, his willingness to sacrifice his happiness for the so-called good of his family.

Hao realized that he hadn't been any better than his family, expecting Yoh to just roll over and obey him without a second thought. He was the selfish one, believing that Yoh should have no say in his future, that because he had believed that Yoh was a part of him that he belonged to him. But Yoh had proven him wrong, time and time again that he was different, and he chose to ignore it. How much of Yoh's pains had been caused directly or indirectly by him?

"Tell me, why if this girl is so different than you was your marriage arranged?" Hao asked.

"She's powerful, my grandfather wanted her skills bred into our family."

"Hmph, is that all?"

"I also think that my grandfather liked the fact that she kept me working as opposed to just daydreaming my life away." Yoh replied. "He told me to suck it up when I mentioned that she was abusive."

"How abusive exactly was she?" Hao queried, thinking he knew exactly what Yoh would say.

"She hits me if I say anything that may even hint as being contrary to her. She also screams at me, calling me worthless, slacker, stupid, all that fun stuff. As I said before she treats me like I'm beneath her and that I am simply a servant at her beck and call." Yoh sighed. "Have you ever met anyone like that?"

"I can't say I know anyone like that personally, but I have met some." Hao replied. "They would not dare try and cross me though."

"No, I'll bet not." Yoh chuckled.

"What does that mean?"

"I just think you could be pretty scary if you wanted to be." Yoh replied. Again Hao was surprised by Yoh's acceptance of him. A dull pain settled in his chest; would Yoh be so kind to him if he knew who he really was?

"You mean you don't find me scary?" Hao asked.

"Not like this, no. If you were going to hurt me, yes, but you're not and I don't think you're all that scary looking as is." Yoh replied with a shrug. "I don't judge people on their appearance, just on their hearts."

Hao licked his chops, not at all surprised this time at Yoh's philosophy. He himself never judged people on their looks, but he did judge them on their abilities, which, if he thought about it, was sort of the same thing. He didn't really look at people with eyes that really saw them. He saw now the wisdom of Kia's punishment; forcing him into a form like the one he'd built in his mind to describe all of humanity, in other words, a monster.

"Are you okay?" Yoh asked anxiously, peering up into his face.

"Just thinking about sins and punishments." Hao replied truthfully. Yoh frowned slightly, but didn't appear to be confused by his words.

"I've done some thinking about that myself in the last little while." Yoh admitted.

"And why would you have reason to be thinking of such things?" Hao asked. He already knew, but he wanted to know exactly how Yoh felt about it.

"I killed someone, not that long ago." Yoh's voice was soft, sorrowful. It made Hao's ears twitch and his heart began to pound louder. "What should be the punishment for someone who's killed?"

"Depends on the reason you killed that someone." Hao answered in as calm a voice he could manage.

"He was going to destroy all of humanity." Yoh whispered, his eyes large and oddly blank. "I couldn't let him, not those billions of lives, they didn't deserve death. There was no other way, one life, or billions."

"You sound like you had a good reason, so why does it upset you so much?" Yoh didn't answer for a minute and when Hao saw his brother quiver, he realized that Yoh was holding back sobs.

"I should have tried harder." Yoh whimpered. "He talked to me sometimes, I should have tried to reason with him, but he didn't want to listen to me, so I didn't press him. I should have pressed him, I should have tried. I didn't want to kill him."

Hao felt something inside him crumble away at Yoh's words. Yoh hadn't wanted to kill him? Yoh had wanted to save him? It didn't seem possible, but from Yoh's demeanour he could only conclude that it was true. Yoh had cared about him, even then, even when Hao didn't give him the time of day, Yoh cared enough that he didn't want to see him die.

Without thinking he placed one arm around Yoh's shoulders, pulling him close. "It'll get better." He said, rather unconvincingly, because he knew with Yoh's personality he would feel guilty for all eternity.

"I killed my brother, it'll never be better." Yoh sniffled and then burst into tears.

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Wolf: Review plz!


	11. Chapter 11

Wolf: I own nothing! PLEASE READ AUTHOR'S NOTE AT BOTTOM!

Hao had no idea what to do. He had no experience whatsoever dealing with moody, depressed, crying teenagers. The only thing he could think of to do was rest his hand on Yoh's shoulder and hope the boy did not recoil from his touch as he believed he would.

That seemed to be the only invitation Yoh needed to turn and wrap his arms around Hao's middle, burying his face in his pelt and crying loudly. Hao was startled and could only think to carefully wrap his arms around his younger twin. Part of him was annoyed at Yoh for this embarrassing display, but another part of him was oddly touched that Yoh trusted him enough to look for comfort.

Slowly Yoh's sobs ceased shaking his thin form and soft hiccups replaced them. Yoh stayed in the circle of his arms for a few minutes more, his tense shoulders relaxing. When he finally pulled away he was blushing slightly in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled, ducking his head.

"It's fine." Hao grunted. "Just don't do it again."

"Okay." Yoh said, smiling slightly. "I can take your bowl if you're done." He offered. Hao handed his bowl to Yoh and sat down as Yoh went into the kitchen to do the dishes.

"You're making good progress with him." Kia's soft voice said in his ear.

"I don't want to make progress with him." Hao growled half-heartedly.

"You're mouth says one thing, but your heart says another." She said with a breathy chuckle. "You should listen to your heart more often."

"Listening to that only gets me hurt." Hao growled.

"Opening yourself up to be hurt is the cost, yes, but is it not worth it? How do you feel when he smiles at you? When he looks to you for assurance?" Hao stayed silent. "You are doing well, Hao." She said and then was silent. Hao looked up and saw that he was alone again.

"Hey, I found a chess set in the library the other day, would you like to play?" Hao looked up at Yoh's anxious, hopeful face. He considered saying no, telling Yoh off, but he was also bored, and playing chess would amuse him for a short time at least.

"Fine." He sighed, trying to put on an air of detachment. Yoh smiled and wandered upstairs, looking back to make sure that Hao was following him. Yoh pulled out the chess set, placing it on the floor of the library, setting the pieces up carefully.

Hao sat down, taking the white pieces. He moved a pawn and waited. Yoh took a moment to make his own move and then sat back. Hao didn't expect the game to go on long, not with his superior intellect against Yoh's slacker simple-mindedness. So, he was surprised when Yoh managed to avoid having one of his pieces taken for quite a few plays.

He was further surprised when Yoh mounted an impressive defence against his invading pieces and even managed to put his king in check for a moment. He did finally defeat Yoh, but not without a noteworthy fight from his brother. He sat back and sighed, looking at the board.

"I'm impressed." He admitted reluctantly.

"Why's that?" Yoh asked, picking up discarded pieces.

"I didn't think you were the type to enjoy or be skilled at strategy games."

"Ha! You and everyone else." Yoh said with a harsh bark of laughter. Hao blinked at him. "I'm sorry, I just get that sort of thing a lot. I don't act intelligently all the time, I'm a little bit spacey and kind of lazy, so people automatically assume I'm stupid."

"Why don't you prove them wrong?"

"The damage is already done by that point. People tend to take their first impression and forever judge you based on that, unless they become close to you." Yoh explained. "I always wished that my brother would see me as something other than the idiot he thought I was." Yoh said wistfully.

"The brother you killed?" Hao asked, feeling his heart clench at the tone of Yoh's voice.

"Yeah. Every time I tried talking to him he'd brush me off condescendingly. I know he thought I was foolish, and the only reason he kept me around was to gain power from me. That hurt, you know?" Yoh asked, looking up at him. "Anna always thought the same of me, and even my grandfather called me idiot a lot of the time, so after awhile, with so many people talking about me like that, I started to believe it a little bit."

Hao felt a bit more like a monster listening to Yoh talk about him. He'd hurt Yoh, in more ways than he'd meant to. He hadn't meant to make Yoh feel inadequate, no, he had. He wanted Yoh to be beneath him, to look up to him as a superior, so he set about trying to make him feel as though he were inferior. He had no idea that others had already tried to do the same.

"But you should know that you're not an idiot." He said to Yoh.

"I know, but it gets repeated often enough..." He trailed off and sighed. "If it weren't for my friends that had my back all the time, I don't know what I'd be like."

"Probably a mess." Hao hypothesized. "With no self esteem whatsoever or backbone."

"Anna would probably like that." Yoh mumbled.

"Hmph, my reaction to something like that would be to go out of my way to prove them wrong, just to rub it in their face." Hao said with a savage grin.

"I don't wanna rub it in their faces, I just would like them to acknowledge that I'm just as important as they are." Yoh replied. "I don't want to feel like a nothing."

"I understand." Hao said softly. "I wouldn't like to feel that way either."

"I'm sorry about all this." Yoh said suddenly with a watery chuckle.

"About what?"

"Unloading all my issues on you. You probably have your own troubles, you don't want to be hearing mine."

"I don't mind." Hao said. He meant it too. He didn't mind that Yoh was making him more troubled about his own actions towards the younger, for the simple reason that he was revelling in the amount of trust that Yoh was showing him. He'd forgotten how good it felt to have someone to talk to. "As long as I can have the favour returned."

"Of course!" Yoh replied, looking at him with surprise. "Do you want to talk now?" He asked, and then yawned widely.

"You're tired, I want a coherent discussion, not meaningless drivel." Hao replied. "You should sleep, your body still needs time to heal." He continued in a gentler tone. Yoh nodded his head, giving him a grateful. He placed the chess set on the nearby desk and walked out of the library.

Hao stayed in the library for a little while, until he was certain Yoh would be completely asleep. He then padded out of the room and into Yoh's room. For a moment he just watched Yoh sleep, wondering what the hell he thought he was doing in here. The lonely ache in his heart gave him his answer. Staying with Yoh made him feel better, and he was unwilling to give that up.

He laid down on the floor, settling down with his body half-curved around Yoh. As he rested his head on the ground he nearly jumped out of his skin in surprise. Yoh's sleepy black eyes were looking right at him. Hao froze, wondering what Yoh would do and how to explain why he was in here.

"You're warm." Yoh suddenly mumbled, snuggling into Hao's flank. Hao's pounding heart began to slow and he looked on in surprise as Yoh proceeded to fall asleep cuddled up to him like it was the most natural thing in the world.

He half-expected Kia to pop out, saying that she'd told him so, but thankfully if she was around she was choosing not to make an appearance. He rested his head back on the floor again, looking into Yoh's peaceful, slumbering face. He felt just as peaceful, content to just lie here as sleep spread its wings over them both.

A thought made him jerk his head back up again; should he tell Yoh who he really was? He thought about that for a moment. Yoh had made it clear that he'd never hated him, and that he was truly upset over believing he'd killed Hao without being able to truly talk to him. But, Hao feared that if he revealed himself, Yoh would be afraid of him again, and maybe even feel as though Hao had betrayed his trust.

He would say nothing for the moment then. He didn't want to lose these little moments, not yet. For a little while, he just wanted someone who looked to him as a friend.

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Wolf: I'm saddened to say my uncle passed away in the middle of the night last night. I didn't get to see him very often because we lived so far apart, but he was a joy to be around. I already miss him, and I hope you'll all understand if I don't post as often for a little while. I will try to write, but I need to grieve too. Thank you all.


	12. Chapter 12

Wolf: I own nothing!

Yoh slowly became aware that he was cocooned in warmth. Opening his eyes all he could see was the black pelt of Daremo in front of him. Daremo had curled himself around him almost like wolves curl around each other to share warmth and companionship. He stroked at the fur on the back of Daremo's neck, hearing a soft rumble of bliss escape the large creature's throat.

Daremo soon opened his eyes and shook Yoh's hand away with an impatient snort. Yoh knew by this point that a lot of the irritation was just show and was sure that Daremo was just simply uncomfortable with the idea of friendship. He smiled up at Daremo as he got up, conveying that he wasn't put out by his brusque manner.

"Shall I go get breakfast ready?" He asked politely. Daremo grunted and waved him off. Yoh hurried off downstairs, humming happily to himself. He felt better for having vented a little bit to someone who was willing to listen and try to help a little bit. It seemed the kidnapping really had been a blessing in disguise for him, he hadn't felt this calm in weeks.

"Breakfast's ready!" He called when he was done. He heard Daremo's heavy footsteps descend the stairs and put two portions of the meal into bowls, handing one to Daremo as he walked in. Daremo padded back out into the living room and Yoh followed. They ate in silence for a couple minutes before Daremo chose to speak.

"You asked me about my mother, if I recall." He said slowly.

"I did." Yoh affirmed with a little surprise. "You don't have to talk about it, if you don't want though." He added quickly, sensing the other's hesitation.

"No, I want to talk about this." Daremo insisted. "I've never really talked about it before, only once really, and you seem to feel a lot better after talking to me, so I want to give it a try." Yoh noted that Daremo must have been really nervous to be rambling the way he was.

"Alright, go ahead." He said in an encouraging tone.

"My mother was like me. She was also kind, gentle, but didn't tolerate any sort of bullshit from me. I remember many a stinging slap from her." He chuckled fondly. "We lived in a village, and the humans that lived there feared her for what she was, though she was always kind to them."

"What happened to her?" Yoh asked gently, thinking he knew the answer to that question.

"She was killed." Daremo answered. "They set our house on fire with her trapped inside."

Yoh felt his heart clench for the dark creature before him as Daremo bowed his head, turning his face away. He was obviously trying not to show his grief and it made Yoh pity him a little bit more. He wrapped his arms as far as they would go around Daremo's neck, burying his face in his fur. Daremo tensed at first, but relaxed almost immediately, accepting the warm embrace.

"I'm so sorry." Yoh whispered, knowing there was nothing else he could say that wouldn't be completely meaningless. "I can't imagine losing my own mother."

"I miss her, a lot." Daremo admitted, a little reluctantly it seemed. "I thought that time would erase that, but it hasn't. I often..." He trailed off.

"What? You can tell me, I'm not here to judge." Yoh coaxed.

"I often feel guilty, because I know that she'd despise what I've become." Daremo murmured. "She tried to instil in me that hatred was not the right way, but after her death, I couldn't hold it back."

Yoh sensed that Daremo was still holding quite a bit back, but was delighted with the amount that he'd been given all the same. He tentatively began to scratch around the base of Daremo's large ears, hoping to calm him a little bit. The soft rumbling purr-like noise he emitted told Yoh that he was a lot like a dog, or rather a wolf.

"Do you think your mother would be happy with you now?" Yoh questioned.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean you've managed to show a human, the same creature that killed your mother and condemned you to a life in the shadows, kindness."

"You're not quite the same." Daremo replied. "You're a shaman, you're used to oddities."

"But you said you were at odds with my family." Yoh said, feeling confused.

"That is mostly my fault." Daremo admitted.

"So it's regular humans you have a problem with then?" Daremo nodded his head in confirmation. "I can sort of relate. Normal people are afraid of shamans, for the most part. I got picked on as a kid a lot because I was different. I can't swim actually because they decided to play a cruel prank on me and I got dragged underwater." He shivered at the memory. "I never hated them though."

"Why not? They caused you so much pain obviously."

"I don't know. Kaa-san told me the reason why they were so mean is because they were scared of me." Yoh answered. "I always thought that if I was mean back to them it would give them a real reason to be scared and then I would be the bad one."

"I can see the reasoning." Daremo said thoughtfully.

"I moved to Tokyo for a little bit, and my first friend there was a human. His name is Manta and he's my best friend. I'd bet he'd be alright with you, once he got over his panic. He's easily panicked, but he'd be fine once he got to know you."

"I doubt others would be so easily persuaded." Daremo said pessimistically.

"You don't know that." Yoh replied. "I think people are becoming more willing to accept the odder things in life."

"Why do you say that?"

"Well, one of the most popular book series of this generation is about magic and wizards and dragons and stuff like that." Yoh replied.

"I'm not sure how that's relevant."

"The attitudes of human beings are reflected in their works. The idea of magic and fantastical creatures intrigues a lot of people, and so they read and write about it." Yoh explained. "A couple hundred years ago you would have been burned for writing something like that, but today it's commonplace."

"And yet those boys still tormented you." Daremo pointed out.

"They didn't know any better. They were told by their parents that my family was weird and unnatural, and so they were afraid of us." Yoh told him. "If they'd taken the chance to get to know me, then they probably would have liked me."

"At least you look human." Daremo pointed out wearily.

"I know, and I don't expect you to go waltzing out into the middle of a crowded city, but I just want you to know there is hope." Yoh replied, trying to make Daremo understand. "You don't have to hate all of them."

He got the feeling there was more Daremo wanted to say, but was holding himself back. Yoh settled for silently stroking the fur on the top of Daremo's head. Daremo shifted a little and then was still, clearly wavering on some decision. Slowly the large wolf-like beast lowered his head to rest it against Yoh's shoulder. Almost as quickly he removed his head, getting up and walking towards the front door.

"Daremo, I know you're scared." Yoh called after him. Daremo paused and turned, showing his teeth in a snarl.

"I am not scared." He growled.

"You're scared of rejection, that I'll be like everyone else and just think of you as a monster." Yoh continued, quelling the nervousness he felt at the sight of Daremo's fangs. "I want to be your friend, Daremo. But I can't do that if you won't trust me when I tell you I will not abandon you."

Daremo stopped snarling, and his face grew wary and maybe a little bit sorrowful. "Once someone told me they would stay by me, but they abandoned me too." He said quietly. "No one wants me, and I don't want them."

"That's not true." Yoh persisted. "I want to be your friend, and you want me to be your friend." Daremo looked away from him. "Sometimes, you just have to try, even if you know it might hurt. The pain is better than living with the regret of not doing something."

Daremo hesitating, staring at Yoh, until he finally sighed and his shoulders slumped. "Alright, I'll try."

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Wolf: Thank you for the support and understanding in my time of grief.


	13. Chapter 13

Wolf: We're actually getting close to the end here, this is going to be one of my shorter stories. I own nothing!

Hao felt conflicted. The last week or so had been the happiest he'd ever been. He'd accepted Yoh's offer of friendship, and had yet to be disappointed. It satisfied him to know that Yoh was benefiting from their friendship as well; he was happier too, less depressed. Hao had even found that he could still laugh for pure joy after all this time.

The only thing niggling at him was keeping Yoh here. He knew that Yoh had no problem with it now, and that he was more than happy just being here, but Hao had begun to think of what his family and friends must be going through. In particular he thought of Yoh's mother, knowing the bond a mother has with their child.

Truthfully he was starting to feel uncomfortably selfish hiding Yoh away from the world like this. He wanted to keep Yoh for himself because Yoh made him feel happy, but he wasn't considering the fact that others were unhappy because Yoh was gone.

"Daremo, are you okay?" Yoh asked. Apparently his agitation had not gone unnoticed. "You seem a little bit out of it today."

"I'm fine." Hao lied, smiling slightly at Yoh. Yoh looked unconvinced and reached up to scratch one of Hao's ears. Hao let out a rumbling purr, his ears were very sensitive and having them scratched always felt good. He sat down on the floor, folding his front legs underneath his body and stared at the crackling fire, thinking quietly.

Yoh sat down beside him, leaning against his side. Hao closed his eyes and just basked in the peacefulness of the situation for a moment before the pesky thoughts invaded again. He knew Yoh wanted to see his family again. Hao even thought that Yoh was ready to face them again, that he had regained his sense of peace with himself. Hao dithered for a little while longer, but he knew what his course of action should be.

"Yoh, would you like to go for a walk?" He asked. Yoh looked up at him, brow furrowing slightly in confusion. "You've been cooped up in here, wouldn't you like to spend some time outside?"

"I suppose so, but isn't it cold?" Yoh asked. They hadn't had any more snowfalls like that freak storm, but it was still winter, and still cold.

"There should be winter stuff in a closet somewhere." Hao replied.

"Okay!" Yoh agreed, his face lighting up. He immediately got up and began searching for the winter clothes. Hao shook his head in wonder at how little it took to make Yoh happy. He wished it was so simple for him.

Yoh came back a few minutes later with a black winter coat, a toque, a scarf, a pair of boots and a pair of thick mittens bundled in his arms. He practically skipped to the front hallway. Hao followed after him at a slower pace, shaking his head at Yoh's antics.

"I guess your fur keeps you nice and warm." Yoh commented as he pulled on his boots. Hao nodded his head slightly, mind preoccupied with the thoughts of what he was about to do.

"Let's go." He said quietly. Yoh was too excited to notice the forlorn note in his voice and ran out the front door. Hao followed sedately, waiting for Yoh to realize that he wasn't running. It didn't take long and Yoh came back to walk happily by Hao's side.

They walked in silence for a little while, Hao working up the nerve to do what he had planned. "Yoh, would you like a ride?" He finally asked nervously. Yoh blinked up at him, looking confused for a moment.

"Are you sure?" He asked when realization dawned. "You wouldn't find it...undignified?"

"No one's going to see us." Hao huffed impatiently. "I don't mind." Yoh gazed up at him for a moment, trying to see any lies in his eyes.

"Okay, if you're alright with it." He said, sounding a little uncertain still. Hao huffed again and lowered his forequarters to the ground, waiting. Yoh carefully climbed up onto his back, taking a hold of a couple tufts of fur.

"Don't pull." Hao warned.

"I won't." Yoh promised. Hao snorted and then set out at a fast trot. They had quite a ways to go to get where he needed to be. Yoh stayed quiet for a little while, seemingly content to watch the scenery go by. "Aren't we getting a little far away?" He asked after some time, sounding worried. Hao chose not to answer him and sped up a little bit, his heat hammering in his chest.

Finally he slowed and lowered his forequarters to the ground. Yoh slid off his back, looking up at him questioningly. Hao simply began to walk again. It was a little warmer here than it was up at his home, and Yoh undid a couple buttons on his coat. The cover of trees thinned out and Hao knew when Yoh had spotted their destination when he stopped short.

"But... but that's my home!" Yoh cried, turning to Hao in confusion. "Daremo, why did you bring me here?"

"Because it's time for you to rejoin the ones who care about you." Hao replied softly, swallowing past the lump that grew in his throat.

"But you need me." Yoh protested.

"I'll be fine on my own, I'm used to being alone." Hao replied bitterly. Yoh shook his head and wrapped his arms around Hao's neck, burying his face in his neck-fur.

"I'm not leaving you." He said stubbornly.

"Your family, your friends, they're probably worried sick about you." Hao wheedled, trying to make this as easy as possible. "You're strong enough to stand up for yourself now, I know it. You need to go back home."

"Then come with me." Yoh offered. "I know we can sort out whatever bad blood there is between my family and you."

"No, we can't." Hao sighed. It was time to come clean. "Yoh, my real name is not Daremo."

"I thought so." Yoh replied. "It was kind of obvious."

"You know who I really am though." Hao continued. Yoh gave him a puzzled look. "Yoh, I tell you that what you did with your brother was the right thing, and I know that he would forgive you." He took a deep breath. "I am Hao."

Yoh stared at him, expression blank and mute. The waiting was killing Hao, he didn't want to see that expression turn to fear, or loathing. "Go." He growled, baring his teeth. Yoh took an uncertain step back. "GO!" he roared, lunging and snapping his teeth at Yoh.

Yoh scrambled backwards, falling on his rear end before picking himself up and pelting away, heading for the house. Hao watched him go, feeling heavy pain settle in his heart. He turned away and trudged back into the forest, heading back to his empty house.

After a moment he was aware that someone was walking with him. He looked beside him and Kia gave him a gentle look of sympathy. "You did a good thing." She told him.

"It hurt." Hao replied, his voice husky.

"Saying goodbye always does." She sighed, her blue eyes looking ancient and sad. "But they're never forever, and the memories you going."

"He probably hates me now." Hao said dejectedly.

"I wouldn't be too sure of that." Kia replied. "He's an interesting character, that's for certain, never met anyone quite like him."

"I've learned." Hao said quietly. "I haven't felt so much peace, even now, in a thousand years. Does that count for something?"

"Unfortunately the spell cannot be broken other than by the conditions which I have already told you." Kia explained with a sigh. "We want the spells to teach, and they can't do that if those cursed can go running off to some other sorcerer and undo it."

"It's okay. I don't really mind being a beast so much anymore." Hao replied.

"That's good to hear." Kia said. They stopped as they came to Hao's house again. Hao wondered if she'd done something to make the journey shorter. He simply stared up at the house, letting his tail and shoulders droop.

"I'm alone again." He lamented. Kia patted his shoulder.

"You're only alone if you choose to be."

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Wolf: Review plz!


	14. Chapter 14

Wolf: I own nothing!

Yoh halted about halfway across the field in his mad dash and just stood there, panting. He turned back, intending to go back to Daremo.. Hao and apologize, but when he did he saw that his brother had gone. He moved forward anyways, wanting to track him down, but a tackle-hug from behind stopped him in his tracks.

"Yoh!" Amidamaru cried and Yoh could hear that the samurai spirit was close to tears. He turned around and hugged Amidamaru back. "I was so worried about you, forgive me for not protecting you."

"It's alright Amidamaru." Yoh sighed. "I'm fine, there's nothing to forgive." He said, smiling. Amidamaru smiled back, relaxing a little bit.

"You seem at peace with yourself again." The samurai commented. Yoh blinked in surprise; he'd never told anyone about his feelings of depression. "You may have kept secrets, but I know you well enough to know that you were unhappy with something. I am simply happy that you seem to be happy again."

"You're right, I do feel better." Yoh admitted. He was then tackle-hugged by someone else a little taller than him.

"Yoh!" Horohoro yelped, squeezing so tight Yoh feared one of his ribs might break.

"Let go of him before you break him, you baka." Yoh heard Ren's querulous voice say. The bone-crushing grip eased and he smiled at the golden-eyed boy.

"Thanks, Ren."

"Where have you been?" Horohoro demanded, bouncing up and down a little in his excitement.

"I'll explain with everyone around." Yoh said, thinking it would give him time to sort out his story into something believable and that wouldn't put him or Hao at risk. He spared one more backwards glance before allowing himself to be dragged off by his friends.

As soon as he stepped foot in the house the questions and the hugging resumed. His mother was the worst, sobbing openly as she rocked him back and forth in her arms. He decided after a couple minutes of this just to let her hold onto him for comfort. The only ones that didn't seem relieved to see him were Anna and Yohmei. Yoh could just tell the two of them were suspicious.

"Where have you been?" Yohmei demanded.

"Is everyone here?" Yoh asked calmly. At the nods he allowed himself to be led into the living room and sat down in his mother's lap. It seemed she was intent on not letting him go. He accepted this and simply squirmed around until he got comfortable. "I was kidnapped." He started.

"What?" A number of people gasped.

"But my kidnapper wasn't the usual kind." Yoh continued, trying his best not to lie, but also not to reveal anything he considered too sensitive for their ears. "His name was Daremo, and he'd recently gotten himself into a bit of trouble, and was looking for someone to help him deal with the changes in his life."

"Daremo? Seriously?" Manta asked, wide-eyed.

"That's what he decided to call himself." Yoh replied with a shrug. "Anyways, he was having trouble adjusting to changes in his life and needed someone to help him, but he didn't think that anyone would stop to listen to him long enough to explain, so he just grabbed me and went."

"And you had no problems with this?" Mikihisa asked.

"Not once I realized that he needed me and he was just too nervous to ask outright. It was a little tense for a bit, because he wasn't sure if he should trust me, but we got along fine."

"So, why did he return you?" Horohoro asked. "Or did you just leave?"

"No, he let me go, said he didn't need my help anymore and that I should be back with my family and friends."

"I'm very glad he did that." Keiko commented, squeezing Yoh around the middle gently. Yoh smiled and leaned back in her arms, enjoying his mother's embrace.

"So that's it then?" Yohmei growled. "You're not going to tell us where he is?"

"I don't know where he is." Yoh said truthfully. "When he brought me to his house I was unconscious, and this time we were moving fast enough that I couldn't track where we were going."

"Hmph." Yohmei looked sceptical and Yoh mentally prepared himself for grilling later on. Anna was glaring at him, and he knew that was never good. He was finally allowed to get up and head to his room for some downtime.

It wasn't long after that he'd gotten settled in with a book, the Iliad in fact; his time with Daremo/Hao had rekindled his love of the classic epics. He looked up at the sound of quiet footsteps and was unsurprised to see Anna glaring at him from the doorway.

"You probably neglected your training the entire time you were there, you lazy bum." She snarled.

"I was more interested in healing old wounds than needlessly torturing myself with your idea of training." Yoh replied. He wasn't sure what it was that made him so bold now. Maybe it was his newfound serenity, maybe it was all the talks with Daremo/Hao about standing up for himself, but somehow he had found the courage to hold his own against Anna.

"You're going to be making up for that."

"No, Anna." Yoh said quietly, but firmly. "I'm not going to kill myself for you anymore." He met her eyes, quelling the fear that rose up at the sight of her scowl. "And I'm not going to be your slave anymore. As your fiancé I am your equal, not your servant and I refuse to take the full weight of chores anymore. From now on, either you help, or it doesn't get done." Anna moved a step towards him, hand upraised. "I will not allow you to hit me, or my friends anymore either." Yoh said fiercely. "We're not your playthings, and if you can't get that through your head, I'm calling off the engagement."

"You can't do that." Anna growled. "Your grandfather will never approve."

"My grandfather doesn't run my life, I do." Yoh retorted. "And I'm not willing to be stuck in a marriage where I know I'm going to be unhappy for the rest of my life."

"You-you..." Apparently Anna couldn't think of any retorts, so she simply spun on her heel and stalked away. Yoh had no doubt that this wouldn't be the last time she tried anything though. Maybe his resistance would teach her some manners, but he wasn't too hopeful.

He laid down on the futon, resting his hands beneath his head and staring up at the ceiling thoughtfully. Daremo's actions towards him in the early days made a lot more sense knowing he was Hao. Hao had specifically targeted him for the pleasure of being able to humiliate and hurt him as punishment for standing in his way during the shaman fight.

It hadn't gone on quite as Hao had intended though, Yoh thought to himself. By placing himself so close to Yoh he'd gotten to know Yoh a bit more, and slowly been unable to avoid being drawn into his life. The real breakthrough was when he'd been rescued in the snowstorm and since then he realized that Hao had been battling feelings of affection towards him.

Hao had felt guilty about keeping there for too long, but that wasn't all. He'd brought Yoh back to his family because he was afraid that once he revealed who he really was he would be rejected. "If only he hadn't lunged at me, I would have gotten over my surprise and told him that I wasn't afraid." Yoh murmured. "I hope you're alright Hao."

%&%&%&%

Hao lifted his large head from the rug, ears perked. It was almost as though he'd heard someone say his name, but there was no one around. He sadly lowered his head again, allowing his ears to droop. His heart ached with loneliness. He hadn't thought he would miss having Yoh around this much, but his absence had left a definite hole in the house.

He tried to convince himself it was for the best, being alone like this. He knew how to be alone after all, it shouldn't be this hard to do it again. "But then, I haven't had someone who cared for a thousand years." He said softly to himself.

His stomach rumbled with hunger, but he felt no motivation to get up and make himself anything to eat. It wasn't just that he would get his paws cut and possibly burnt, it was the absence of the soft, peaceful humming that would normally accompany the making of the food that made him reluctant to start. Snuffling softly to himself he curled himself up and went to sleep.

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Wolf: Review plz!


	15. Chapter 15

Wolf: I own nothing!

Yoh was bombarded with questions all that day and finally pleaded tiredness to get away. He really didn't want to reveal any more than what he'd already said, but he didn't want to lie either. He spent some time lying awake figuring out ways to twist the truth enough before drifting off to sleep, Amidamaru watching him like a hawk.

When he woke up the next morning he found Horohoro and Manta peeking in at him. He raised an eyebrow at them both. "Sorry." Manta said somewhat sheepishly. "We just wanted to make sure you hadn't disappeared again."

"Well, I'm still here." Yoh replied.

"Rumour going around the house is that you told Anna to basically fuck off." Horohoro said.

"I did." Yoh grinned. "I'm done being her punching bag."

"Sure you can take the heat from making that decision?" Manta asked anxiously.

"I think so." Yoh replied, stretching and standing up. "I've come to the decision that I don't want to compromise my own happiness in life for her ambition."

"Well, if you can stand up to her, so can I." Horohoro declared. "I've got your back, dude."

"Thanks." Yoh said, smiling happily at him.

"It's good to see you smiling for real again." Ren commented from where he was leaning on the doorframe.

"What do you mean?" Yoh asked. Ren scoffed.

"Come on, Yoh. We know you, you don't think we could see that you were faking happiness for the last little while?" Ren said. "We didn't say anything because we respected your privacy and knew that you would tell us in your own time."

Yoh looked down, feeling abashed and grateful for his friends' understanding of him. "I'm sorry. You guys look to me to make sure things are going to be alright, I thought that if I showed that I wasn't alright you guys would panic."

"You're allowed to feel upset, Yoh." Horohoro said gently. "We'd rather you tell us up front than let us worry about you not telling us why you're upset."

"Sorry." Yoh repeated. "I won't make that mistake again."

"See that you don't." Ren said in a warning tone. "We may just have to force it out of you then." Yoh chuckled and nodded his head. "There's still something you're not telling us though, isn't there?"

"If there was it would be because I'm protecting something important." Yoh replied. Ren nodded in understanding. "Should we go see if there's anything to eat?"

"Same old Yoh, always thinking about food." Horohoro laughed. "Come on, let's go." The four of them headed downstairs to the table. Yohmei gave Yoh a glare and Anna was smiling smugly. It looked like Yoh was going to be defending himself early today.

He sat down, trying to ignore them for the time being. Horohoro and Ren settled on either side of him, on edge and ready for a fight. Yoh helped himself to some food and waited for the storm to break. He didn't have to wait long.

"Anna has informed me that you threatened her last night." Yohmei growled.

"Is that what she told you?" Yoh asked calmly. "Do you believe her word over your knowledge of your own grandson?"

"Yoh wouldn't threaten anyone." Keiko interjected hotly. "He's gentler than that."

"She also said you seem to think you can dissolve your marriage contract."

"Once again she's twisting the truth. I said that I would refuse to marry her if she continued to treat me and my friends like her personal slaves." Yoh explained. "Did she tell you that if I collapse of exhaustion in the heat after hours of training, she doubles it for the next day? Or how she leaves everyone to do the work and then criticizes them on every little thing?"

"You-" Anna hissed, but was cut off by Kino.

"I told you Yohmei, I told you she might not be the right fit. As powerful as you are missy, you don't know anything about empathy or how to treat others. If Yoh wishes to dissolve the marriage agreement, I will support him."

"You cannot be serious." Yohmei gasped.

"I am." Kino said fiercely. "And I'm glad that our grandson is finally standing up for himself."

"Thanks obaa-san." Yoh said. Kino smiled at his voice.

A knock at the front door startled them all. "Who could that be?" Keiko murmured, frowning slightly. She stood up and got the door. Yoh nearly knocked over his bowl when she came back in followed by the Iron Maiden and Marco.

"Hello, what are you doing here?" Yoh asked. Marco looked down his nose at him. Yoh shivered at the cold look in his eyes.

"We have some things we must discuss."

%&%&%&%&%

Hao woke up, feeling disoriented and empty. There was no small form cuddled up to his side, snoring lightly. The only thing that lingered of Yoh was his scent, which was quickly fading as well. He sighed and lowered his head again, curling up further in an attempt to go back to sleep and forget that anything was wrong.

But something was nagging at the back of his mind. He felt uneasy, but he couldn't say why. That uneasy feeling made it impossible for him to sleep, despite his lethargy. It got to the point that he was actually pacing around the living room trying to figure out why he felt so agitated.

He finally decided to go for a walk in an attempt to clear his head. The demons no longer followed him when he walked, though he could see them hiding themselves if he came close to them. He'd left behind the rage that had burned inside him for so long, but now it was replaced by a yawning void that was far more painful.

He was so caught up in feeling sorry for himself that he didn't realize where he was until he walked right out of the forest. He saw the Asakura estate down the hill and hurriedly backed up into the trees. He chided himself for his inattentiveness, thinking that was a good way to get killed.

He sat down on the cold earth, watching the house for some time. It was a depressed past-time, but he couldn't muster the will to get up and leave. He didn't want to go back to the emptiness of his house and maybe if he stayed long enough he'd get a glimpse of Yoh, assuring himself that he was alright and not why he felt so agitated.

After a couple minutes his ears perked forward, sensing something happening. Yoh was all but thrown out of the house and stumbled onto the grass, struggling to keep his balance. Hao let out an unintended growl as Marco and the Iron Maiden stepped out as well. Yoh's friends and family ran out soon after, but the Iron Maiden's power blocked them from getting to Yoh.

Hao strained, but he couldn't hear what they were talking about, but he knew by the look of things that it wasn't good. He needed to get closer, to try and hear what was going on. Crawling on his belly through the long, dead grass he began to hear clearly what they were yelling about.

"You are lying, Asakura!" Marco was saying, his voice sounding strained and a little crazy. "You know something, and I want to know, now!"

"I don't know anything." Yoh replied. "Hao's gone, leave us alone!"

"Oh, I think not. Your family spawned that monster, and you are his other half. You can't be allowed to live." Hao lifted his head slightly and saw Marco take out his gun. "The sentence is... death." Marco hissed, cocking the gun.

Hao's body moved on its own, the need to protect bypassing all other thoughts in his head. He moved faster than he ever had in his life, leaping between Yoh and Marco's spirit as it emerged from the gun. He braced for the pain that he knew was coming, distantly hearing Yoh scream. A massive force hit his chest and sent him flying, and then everything went white.

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Wolf: Review plz!


	16. Chapter 16

Wolf: I own nothing!

Yoh decided that the X-Laws had gone batshit crazy. Marco had accused him of working with Hao from the beginning and conspiring to fake Hao's death. Yoh had countered that Hao wouldn't want to even pretend defeat, it would be too humiliating and explained how much pain Hao's taking of his soul had caused.

Marco hadn't listened of course, and had gotten physical, dragging Yoh out of the house and into the cold. There they had yelled at each other some more, and then Marco took out his gun, pointing it at his head. Yoh was defenceless, his friends, family and guardian spirit being held back by the Iron Maiden.

"The sentence is... death." Marco hissed at him and pulled the trigger. Yoh flinched, but then a large dark furred shape leapt in front of him and he gasped in surprise.

"Hao!" He screamed as the dark shape was blasted backwards by Michael. Hao's large form smashed into him and they tumbled to the ground together. All the sudden a white light surrounded Hao and Yoh felt Hao's weight ease a little bit. The dazzling light faded away and Yoh blinked, trying to banish the spots from his vision.

Hao was lying against him, very much human and very much naked. He looked dazed and a little bit confused. A soft chuckle reached their ears and Hao flinched as a blue blanket dropped on his shivering form. Yoh looked up into the oddly ancient blue eyes of a young woman he'd never seen before.

"Witch!" Marco yelled, bringing up his weapon again, this time pointed at Kia.

"No!" Hao yelled, snapping out of his daze. Marco ignited and was burned out of existence. Kia threw something on the ground in front of the Iron Maiden, encasing her in a translucent purple bubble, rendering her powers useless. No one moved to Yoh however, which wasn't surprising seeing as Yoh and Hao were still tangled together on the ground, too stunned to move.

Hao finally wrapped the blanket a little more firmly around him and sat up, staring up at Kia in confusion. "I thought you said...?"

"I said that a life would end, I did not say you would die." Kia said gently.

"I don't understand, Kia" Hao replied.

"Could you go back to your old life now?" Hao opened his mouth and then shut it again, a wry look crossing his face as he shook his head.

"You tricked me." He said accusingly.

"What would you have done if you knew you wouldn't die?" Kia asked calmly. Hao made a face.

"I would have thrown myself in front of someone random immediately and changed back." He admitted.

"And never learned the lesson I set out to teach you." Kia finished. "Don't forget it though, you won't get another chance to redeem yourself." She warned ominously. Hao nodded his head seriously.

"That monster can never find redemption." The Iron Maiden hissed, attempting to free herself from her prison.

"Such hatred." Kia turned and locked eyes with the younger girl. "You see the world in black and white and you lack empathy." She said quietly. "Sleep, I will deal with you later." The bubble glowed brightly for a second and Jeanne's eyes rolled back and she fell to the ground, unconscious.

Yoh started to get up and had his arm grasped by Hao, who used him to rise shakily to his feet. Yoh looked at him and there was something tentative, fragile in the dark eyes that looked back at him. He smiled reassuringly at his brother and Hao smiled tentatively back.

"What is going on here?" Yohmei thundered, finally snapping out of the frozen shock that everyone was under.

"I'll explain once I get Hao into the house and into some clothes." Yoh asserted. He didn't wait for an answer and simply put an arm around Hao's shoulders and led him inside. He turned and saw Kia lift up Jeanne into her arms tenderly and bring her inside as well. Yoh took Hao upstairs to his room and set about finding some clothes for him to wear.

"It's weird." Hao said softly behind him. Yoh turned around with a pair of jeans in his hand and found Hao staring down at his hands. "I wanted nothing more than to rid myself of that form for weeks, and now I actually sort of miss it." Yoh's heart clenched at the lost look on Hao's face.

Yoh went over and patted Hao's shoulder awkwardly. "It'll be alright." He assured his brother. He handed him the clothes and Hao put them on without protest.

"I should leave." Hao said quietly.

"Why?" Yoh asked, confused.

"I'll only cause trouble for you." Hao replied.

"Too late for that." Yoh said with a slight chuckle. "And where would you go? Back to being alone again? No, I'm going to take care of you now."

"I don't need to be taken care of." Hao said, sounding a little bit puzzled.

"I don't mean like that." Yoh replied, moving closer. "You need someone to help you look after this." He placed his hand on Hao's chest, right over his heart. Hao stared down at the hand with vague surprise.

"I think you're right." He admitted softly. Yoh smiled and wrapped his arms around his twin, giving him a proper hug. Hao leaned into it gratefully and Yoh heard a sigh of relief escape his lips.

"You were lonely without me there, weren't you?" Hao nodded his head. "Ah well, that's behind us now. We should go downstairs, we have a lot of explaining to do."

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Hao asked worriedly as they headed downstairs.

"Positive, and don't try to talk me out of it either." Yoh said fiercely. Hao cracked a small smile at his stubborn expression and said nothing more. Yoh's friends and family were all waiting in the living room, along with Kia, who was ignoring the open stares being directed her way. Yoh had Hao sit down and took a seat next to him.

Keiko held out a steaming mug to Hao. Hao looked at it and then her in surprise. "I thought you still might be cold." She explained gently. Hao nodded his head and took the mug from her with whispered thanks. Yoh could smell the chocolate and just knew his mother had made her special hot chocolate with cinnamon and vanilla.

"If you haven't already guessed, Hao is Daremo from my story, and a lot of what I said was true." Yoh started. "Looking back on it now I'm guessing Hao was nasty when he first kidnapped me because he was still angry about our fight." Hao nodded in agreement. "But then he saved my life and he was a lot nicer after that."

"Why?" Horohoro asked. Yoh looked at Hao, feeling a little lost. He had an idea, but he didn't know for sure.

"I started to understand him." Hao said quietly. There were a couple flinches at the sound of his voice, but he kept going. "And in understanding him I was able to sympathize with him, and able to learn how to care about him."

"That is absolute rubbish." Yohmei growled.

"He threw himself into the path of certain death for Yoh." Keiko pointed out quietly. That shut Yohmei up quickly. She looked at Kia "What is your part in this, miss...?"

"Just Kia, thank you." Kia replied. "I was the one who put him under that spell in the first place."

"Did you have a grudge on him or something?" Manta asked.

"Not at all. In fact I quite like him, when he's not being an egotistical numbskull." She smiled at the glare that Hao gave her. "I turned him into a beast on the request of the Mother Goddess, whom I serve. Long ago Hao was in her service as well, and she wanted to give him a chance to redeem himself."

"So you turned him into a beast, makes perfect sense." Ren sniffed.

"Ever heard of the Beauty and the Beast, youngling? Same principle, but the spell would only lift if Hao sacrificed himself to save another." Kia explained.

"Weird way of doing things." Horohoro commented.

"It's a tried and true method." Kia replied.

"Can I ask another question?" Manta said. Kia nodded. "What are you exactly?" She smiled at him.

"Oh, just a simple shopkeeper."

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Wolf: Review plz!


	17. Chapter 17

Wolf: I own nothing!

Kia stood up and stretched. "I should be getting back on the road now." She said. "You'll be alright from now on Hao." It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

"And how do you know that?" Hao asked sceptically.

"The energies." Kia replied mysteriously. She knelt down and picked up Jeanne's unconscious form.

"What are you going to do with her?" Manta asked.

"She needs to learn empathy." Kia replied.

"I'm guessing there's a spell for that." Hao said. She smiled at him and chuckled.

"Hopefully our paths will cross again someday." She said to him, bowing her head and folding her ears back in a gesture of respect. He bowed back to her. She flicked her tail and carried Jeanne out the front door.

"Does she always just leave like that?" Horohoro wondered aloud.

"Yes." Hao said in a resigned tone. Everyone turned and looked at him and he felt uncommonly uncomfortable under their scrutiny.

"What happens now?" Horohoro asked.

"Hao's staying here, right?" Hao looked at Yoh and sighed at the stubborn look on his face.

"Since I have a feeling you'd hunt me down if I tried to leave, I can only say yes."

"He's not staying here!" Yohmei roared. "I will not have it."

"If he goes, then I go too." Yoh said quietly. A stunned silence met his words. He lifted his head and met the gaze of everyone in the room. "He needs me, he needs me to keep his soul from falling into darkness again."

"You're an even bigger fool than I'd ever imagined if you believe he can change."

"He leapt in front of Yoh." Mikihisa said, speaking for the first time. "The Hao Asakura that we hated didn't care about anyone else and he certainly wouldn't have put himself in the line of fire for someone else. A second chance can't hurt, and if it's proved he's still the man he was, then we'll do something about it."

"There's an uncertainty in his voice." Kino commented. "Not sure what to do with yourself anymore, are you?"

"Not really." Hao admitted.

"You're taken in by this too, Kino?" Yohmei gasped.

"In the time he's been here he's been nothing but polite and even a little bit shy if I'm not mistaken." Kino replied. "Don't you think it's time to end this cycle? All that killing him does in ensure he's got more power the next time around and more of a reason to hate our family. Did you ever consider that might not be the best thing?"

"He cannot change." Anna hissed.

"Everyone changes." Ren stated. "I wasn't much different from Hao, and Yoh managed to change me. So, why not Hao?" Yoh's friends nodded in agreement to that, relaxing visibly. Seeing most people were on their side Yoh smiled triumphantly at his brother.

"There's a couple things from my house I want to pick up if I'm going to be staying here." Hao said.

"I'm coming with you." Yoh declared. Hao glanced at him, a smile playing about his lips.

"Somehow, I knew you'd say that." He stood up. "I'd like to go now, if you don't mind." Yoh nodded his head.

"If he's not back in half an hour we're coming after you." Ren threatened.

"I understand." Hao said, not pointing out that he had ways of hiding from even the best divinations. He turned away and padded towards the front door.

"Don't you need shoes?" Yoh asked as he opened the front door.

"If I was walking, yes. But I see no reason to walk when I have the ability to teleport." Hao replied.

"Right, I forgot about that." Yoh said sheepishly. Hao smiled and held out his hand. Yoh took it without hesitation and Hao teleported them both away. They wound up at the front porch of Hao's house. Yoh looked up at the house for a moment, smiling slightly to himself.

"Are you really sure you want to do this? Because I can just teleport you back and I'll stay here." Hao told him, sounding worried.

"My friends are backing me up, along with most of my family, I don't think it's going to be a problem." Yoh chuckled.

"That surprised me." Hao commented. He headed into the house and pulled out a couple boxes. Yoh followed him up to the library.

"Didn't surprise me." Yoh said with a shrug, taking the books that Hao handed to him. "They trust me, and you saved my life. I think that's really what made them think."

"You're probably right." Hao agreed, putting the chess set in one of the boxes. "I think that's it."

"Okay." Yoh lifted one of the boxes and waited patiently. Hao placed a hand on his shoulder and in a moment they were standing in the front hallway again. "I'll have a room set up, or would you rather share so you can snuggle?" Yoh teased. Hao felt his ears redden, but didn't disagree with him. He felt a closeness with Yoh that he couldn't always explained, and a physical connection always made him feel a little better.

Maybe it was just the fact that there was a little bit of Hao in Yoh and his soul was reacting to that. Yoh was his own person, but there was still that little nugget, like a magnet, pulling them together. He didn't know where this connection would take him, how far it would go, but he didn't think that either he or Yoh would mind where it did decide to take them.

"That didn't take very long." Mikihisa commented, walking towards them. "Mostly books I see."

"I'm an intellectual." Hao said with a touch of haughtiness. "I like to engage in stimulating activities."

Yoh giggled at his choice of words, seeing the overdramatic acting for what it was. Hao gave him a sideways glance and a smile as Mikihisa chuckled as well. It seemed that Hao was working his charisma in order to disarm any lingering doubts. Yoh didn't mind that at all, the faster they trusted Hao the better in his mind.

"You didn't want any of your clothes or anything?" Mikihisa asked curiously.

"I thought it would be best to start with as clean a slate as possible." Hao replied. "I only took what I felt I couldn't live without."

Yoh didn't quite know how he regarded his brother. When he thought of him as Daremo there was an almost romantic connection between them at the end, particularly because Daremo liked being very close to him. That feeling had not faded with the knowledge that Daremo was Hao and a powerful desire to have Hao close had been added to it in fact actually.

He helped Hao carry the books and the chess set upstairs. Hao didn't protest when Yoh placed his things in his room. Yoh watched as Hao took a good look around at the peeling posters, the old-fashioned record player that he was loathe to give up, Harusame leaning against a corner and Amidamaru watching them both curiously.

"I haven't heard any input from you about all this." Hao told the samurai ghost.

"I trust Yoh." Amidamaru replied.

"Aw, come on Amidamaru, you're entitled to your opinion." Yoh coaxed, knowing how Amidamaru could be. Amidamaru hesitated a moment.

"The moment you threw yourself into the path of certain death, and were bewildered when it did not come, was the moment I knew that something had changed." He finally said. "I will be watching you, but you have my thanks, and my tentative approval, for now."

Yoh happily sat down on the floor, glad of everyone's, well almost everyone's, acceptance of his brother. Hao sat down next to him, sighing softly. After a moment of easy silence Hao put his arm around Yoh's shoulders, pulling him close. It felt right, this closeness, like being whole. Then Hao leaned in and pressed their lips together, and that felt right too.

**THE END**

Wolf: Yes, you heard me, I'm ending it there, bwahahahaha! If there is interest in how Kia teaches Jeanne her lesson, let me know and I'll write it. Here's a hint, it involves cats and criminals; intrigued?


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